Newly released federal dietary guidelines are generating positive interest from some of Oklahoma’s leading nutrition and diet groups.
The White House revealed the changed food pyramid during an announcement on Wednesday.
“The new guidelines recognize that whole nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told reporters during the announcement.
On Facebook, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt hailed the administration for putting meat and dairy at the top of the pyramid, which he stated would benefit farmers in the state.
“We’re going to see improvements in health outcomes, which is really a drive for this,” said Katy Soper, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “We’re also going to see a lot less overeating. And the reason is that we’re eating tons of bagged and boxed foods right now that have no nutritional value.”
The Trump administration also launched realfood.gov as a website to detail its new plan.
Soper said a key part of the framework is to simplify eating.
“I actually think it takes out a lot of the complications for the elderly and young kids,” she explained.
Eventually, the guidelines will inform school nutrition policies. But, it will take a few years for it to reach local districts fully.
“We want to make sure that our students are getting the most nutritious and also just delicious meals that they can at school so they can succeed,” said Devyn Manns, a board member for the School Nutrition Association of Oklahoma.
Manns said a major component she noticed in the new guidelines is an emphasis on whole-food protein sources.
“That is something that we are eagerly waiting to see how those are going to be implemented and when they’ll be implemented, and how we can effectively implement them in all of our school districts,” she said.
