Just in time to help with your New Year's resolution to eat more healthily, the government announced its latest dietary guidelines on Thursday.
The 2015 guidelines recommend a "healthy eating pattern" with limited sugar and saturated fat, less salt and more vegetables and whole grains.
You might remember the food pyramid poster from your grade school classroom, or the "My Plate" icon from your child's cafeteria. Those earnest posters are a boiled-down version of a complicated food science discussion between government-appointed experts and all the other players in this food fight, including dietitians, scientists, doctors, medical associations, the food industry and the public. The guidelines are revised every five years, and the draft version of this year's guide came in months ago at more than 500 pages.
In the end, there are some breadcrumbs -- whole-wheat, of course -- of advice to follow. The guidance affects everything from what's served in school and prison lunches to how food labels work. It helps dietitians guide their clients. Experts say it also puts pressure on manufacturers and restaurants about what they put in their food.
