For today's Friday Link, we are connecting you to Marion Nelson's discussion of Brazil's recently updated dietary guidelines. This list of suggestions for healthy eating is so far ahead of what the U.S. is offering that I think we should all forget those food pyramids and post the Brazilian version on the front of the refrigerator.
In place of a disussion of nutrients, these are a list of simple statements. Such as, "Prepare meals from staple and fresh foods."
You can read the 3 Golden Rules and 10 Guidelines over on the Food Politics blog.
I love the fact that the Brazilian Government talks about the importance of community as a part of healthy eating. One guideline is "Eat in company whenever possible." This summer, you could begin by gathering friends for a pot luck picnic in one of Boston's beautiful parks.
The final guideline is, "Be critical of the commercial advertisement of food products." Tell me, when was the last time you saw an ad for raw carrots? And, while they do come in different colors, these beauties don't have calorie and fat laden sauces added and you don't have to decide between 15 flavors.
You can download a pdf of the original document in Portuguese here.
Do these guidelines make more sense to you than the U.S. version?
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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2011-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino