[muawiyah]

"The small percentage of meals that did meet dietary guidelines included fruit as a side dish and milk, and nearly all were deli-sandwich meals. They also had about one-third the fat, one-sixth the added sugars, twice the iron and three times the amount of vitamin A and calcium as did meals not meeting the criteria."

Federal nutrition guidelines for children and adults are more political in nature than scientific. Agricultural interests dominate the regulatory process, and wheat growers (flour), fruit growers (fruit) and vitamin supplement manufacturers (vitamin and mineral additives) dominate the field.

The best diet would exclude milk and milk byproudcts, severely limit starches (which are essentially the same as other sugars)while emphasizing nuts and oils from plant sources.

[driftdiver]

You mean the guidelines that push high sugar foods aren’t good for you?

[CE2949BB]

Federal nutrition guidelines for children and adults are more political in nature than scientific.

Agreed.

The best diet would exclude milk and milk byproudcts,

I can't live without milk.

I could drink a gallon a day. ;)

severely limit starches (which are essentially the same as other sugars)

That was the hardest part of doing Atkins (when I did it).

I've never been a big candy guy, but milk (lactose) and peanut butter (added sugar) are my biggest problem foods.

If anyone is wondering: Atkins does work, if you stick to it. I went from being about 250 lbs to 160 (ish, I've gained a few during Nov & Dec of this year).

[Mase]

The best diet would exclude milk and milk byproudcts

That's bad advice for children. Why force them to obtain the calcium and phosphorous they need from much more expensive sources like meats and fish when milk offers the highest level and best source for calcium and phosphorous at a significantly lower cost?

With milk, the phosphate and calcium are bound to the casein so the rate of absorption is excellent. Not so with meats and fish. The oriental diet is low in milk consumption and they are much smaller than we are and no, it's not all genetic. The Japanese used to suffer all sorts of bone maladies because they didn't get enough calcium and phosphate in their diet. Americans don't suffer from the same things and it's dairy that makes the difference.