Today the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, which support the goals of reducing obesity, encouraging consumption of nutrient-rich foods, and increasing physical activity.
The Guidelines show that animal proteins are essential to the diet, as meat provides vital nutrients such as heme iron and vitamin B12 which many Americans lack. [1],[2] Pork, in particular, is a lean, low-calorie, nutrient-rich protein which can help with weight control. In fact, recent studies show eating lean meats such as pork can lead to weight loss by reducing hunger sensations, helping people feel full and preserving lean muscle mass. [3],[4],[5],[6]
The National Pork Board recently became a My Pyramid partner and looks forward to working with the Department of Agriculture to help educate Americans on choosing, preparing and eating healthy food options.
The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or go to pork.org.
Source: The National Pork Board
