Eating lean beef as part of a balanced diet and being physically active can be part of the solution to maintaining a healthy weight, according to the recently released Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.
“The scientific evidence to support the role of lean beef in a healthy, balanced diet is strong,” says Shalene McNeill, Ph.D., R.D., executive director of human nutrition research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) – a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program.
On June 15, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) opened the Advisory Report for a 30-day public comment period, after which they will use the report and those comments to create the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In addition, they are hosting a July 8 public meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss the report.
“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee addressed overweight and obesity as the most pressing public health concern facing Americans today,” McNeill says. “This makes it even more important that we get more nutrition out of each calorie we consume. Choosing lean beef as a source of high-quality protein is actually a calorie-saver.”
For a full report, go to Advisory Report.
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The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program
