Pablo Monsivais, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, recently took to the airwaves to discuss new dietary guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The revised recommendations have made headlines for a shift to the “inverted pyramid” of food instead of the “MyPlate” graphic showing portions of recommended food groups, among other changes.
“If you look at the graphic, the new inverted pyramid of the dietary guidelines, your eyes are really drawn to the fact that it’s prominently displaying red meat, a lot of animal-based proteins, and full-fat and high-fat dairy products, which are major sources of saturated fat in our diets,” Monsivais told Spokane Public Radio host Doug Nadvornick. “That’s a really remarkable change, given that the scientific base has been telling us over the last few decades that reducing saturated fat and replacing it with healthier fats is an important way to prevent heart disease.”