The new recommendations call for each meal to have one serving of fruit and two servings of vegetables. The emphasis is on including more dark green and orange vegetables and limiting starchy vegetables. Fried vegetables, such as french fries and potato chips, are not recommended.
The guidelines also suggest at least half the grain products be rich in whole grains, and recommend against soft drinks and candy.
Juice is not permitted for children under age 1 and is limited to one serving a day for older kids and adults. Juice should be 100 percent fruit juice, without added sugars.
Children under the age of 2 will be offered whole milk; older children will have 1 percent fat milk.
Experts said the new recommendations will also have an impact on day cares that don’t participate in the USDA food program.
“It will change the nutrition rules in about half the states for all children through the child care licensing rules,” said Geraldine Henchy from the Institute of Medicine.
Experts said this is the second phase of the USDA plan to update federally supported food programs. The first phase was school lunches.
To see the Institute of Medicine’s recommended meal plans, click here.
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