2.76 USDA – Miscellaneous Rules and Summary
Just a few more rules to add to the USDA Food Plan.
- Limit oils to 6 teaspoons per day (which would be 240 calories)
- Limit calories from solid fats (saturated) and added sugars to 260 calories per day (16 teaspoons or 68 g)
- Reduce sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per day
- Be physically active for at least 150 minutes per week
Reducing oils, saturated fats and sugars is better than consuming large amounts of these unhealthy nutrients, however why recommend that any at all should be in our diet? HeartStrong.com and whole food plant based diet advocates recommends completely eliminating oils, saturated fats and added sugars as previously discussed.
Summary and Conclusions
Here is a simple table that summarizes the USDA recommendations and the USDA My Plate:
Remember, unless you are following a whole foods plant based diet (which does not require calorie counting) it is always important to maintain the proper calorie balance as well to avoid becoming overweight or obese. These above mentioned serving amounts in the USDA diet plan are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Many people following the USDA dietary pattern may need less than this based on their specific age, gender and physical activity level.