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New diet guidelines might pull back from meat

FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2013 file photo, a cow eats in a feedlot at Suwannee Farms in O'Brien, Fla. Dietary guidelines released by the government every five years lay out recommendations for healthy eating. Next year's version may look at what is healthy for the environment, too. The idea of looking at how food is grown _ not just how it is eaten _ has already provoked outrage from the agriculture and food industries and even Congress. They say an environmental agenda doesn't belong in what has always been practical guidelines for a healthful lifestyle. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2013 file photo, a cow eats in a feedlot at Suwannee Farms in O'Brien, Fla. Dietary guidelines released by the government every five years lay out recommendations for healthy eating. Next year's version may look at what is healthy for the environment, too. The idea of looking at how food is grown _ not just how it is eaten _ has already provoked outrage from the agriculture and food industries and even Congress. They say an environmental agenda doesn't belong in what has always been practical guidelines for a healthful lifestyle. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush, File) FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2013 file photo, a cow eats in a feedlot at Suwannee Farms in O'Brien, Fla. Dietary guidelines released by the government every five years lay out recommendations for healthy eating. Next year's version may look at what is healthy for the environment, too. The idea of looking at how food is grown _ not just how it is eaten _ has already provoked outrage from the agriculture and food industries and even Congress. They say an environmental agenda doesn't belong in what has always been practical guidelines for a healthful lifestyle. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush, File)

By Associated Press 4 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Where’s the beef?

A panel that advises the Agriculture Department appears set to recommend that you be told not only what foods are better for your own health, but also for the environment. That means that when the latest version of the government’s dietary guidelines comes out, it may push even harder than it has in recent years for people to choose more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and other plant-based foods – at the expense of meat.

The beef and agriculture industries are crying foul, saying an environmental agenda has no place in what has always been a practical blueprint for a healthy lifestyle.

The advisory panel has been discussing the idea of sustainability in public meetings, indicating that its recommendations, expected early this year, may address the environment. A draft recommendation circulated last month said a sustainable diet helps ensure food access for both the current population and future generations.

A dietary pattern higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods is “more health promoting and is associated with lesser environmental impact than is the current average U.S. diet,” the draft said.