New Dietary Guidelines Target Sugar, Ease Up On Coffee And Eggs
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Obama Administration released new dietary guidelines today.
The latest report, which is revised every five years, backs off previous recommendations about cholesterol, but gets tougher on sugar.
Anne Heausler cut back on sugar about six months ago.
"I lost about 20 pounds without trying, not doing anything else," she says.
New federal dietary guidelines are getting strict about sugar. For the first time they limit added sugar to no more than 10 percent of daily calories.
"We know that about half of the added sugars in people's diets comes from sweetened beverages, usually sodas," Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Assistant Secretary for Health, explains.
Eggs get a new break with the updated guidelines.
The limit on dietary cholesterol used to be no more than 300 milligrams a day, which is about two eggs.
That recommendation is gone now.
"It's an excellent source of protein, there's about 70 calories in one egg and 7 grams of protein," Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospital's Case Medical Center, said.
But the report says teenage boys and men eat too much protein and should cut back on eggs, meat and poultry.
Instead, they should eat more fruits and vegetables.
"If I get a steak and my salad comes and my steaks comes, im gonna go to my steak," 19-year-old Tom Finnegan reveals. "Maybe tonight I'll eat some more vegetables."
And there is good news for coffee lovers.
The guidelines say 3-5 small cups a day are healthy, as long as you don't add the sugar, flavorings or toppings