Grains: Keeping it Real

If you have been following my posts, this week I plan to address assertions made by Tom Naughton in his 2009 documentary "Fat Head", which run in stark contrast to the dietary recommendations spelled out in Mike Anderson's, "The Rave Diet", which is essentially a Vegan diet.  Both men claim that their diets are "the way humans were meant to eat".  Fat Head claims that the CSPI (The Center  for Science in the Public Interest) is responsible for the emphasis on a plant-based diet that the USDA promotes.  And the Rave Diet claims that the dairy and meat lobbyists are responsible for the emphasis on high-protein (i.e., meat and dairy) diets that the USDA promotes. 

The first thing I want to nip in the bud is Naughton's outdated claim that the USDA's Food Pyramid recommends that we eat between 9 and 11 servings of grains per day.   Under the New Food Pyramid which came out 6 years ago,  depending on your age, sex, and activity level, recommended servings of grains are between 3 and 8 one-ounce equivalent servings.  And a serving of bread is not what you would get in a sandwich.  It is one slice of bread (normally smaller than the Pepperidge Farm one I have pictured above), 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, and 1/2 cup cooked rice,  pasta or hot cereal.  In the photo above, I measured one cup of Basic 4 cereal, which is about half of what my son eats each morning.  As for the measuring cup, that's your 1/2 cup "serving" of rice, pasta, or hot cereal.  I don't know about you, but when I make pasta, we eat about 3-4 times that amount each.  Unlike Naughton's claims,  for most of us, the New Food Pyramid no longer emphasizes grains.  In fact, for a 2,000 calorie diet, the recommendation is 6 servings of grains, 4 and 1/2 servings of fruits and vegetables, 5 and 1/2 servings of meat and beans, and 3 servings of milk (or milk products).   My problem with the New Pyramid is that I do not believe it recommends enough fruits and vegetables, which are packed with nutrition-rich antioxidants and vitamins.  But that's another story...

Depending on which dietary approach you prefer, you will likely find multiple "errors" in both of these videos (and book).  I point out the grain claim made by Naughton only because it is blatantly false and affects some of the other points he makes.  Plus, if you see the film, I want you to know that the Pyramid he uses is no longer the one the USDA promotes. 

Why, you may ask, am I comparing these two diets this week?  Besides the fact that I have never seen 2 diets so diametrically opposed to each other, it is because both make the exact same positive claims about their own diets, and fling the same accusations about the influence the other school of thought has on the USDA, as well as what damage the other's diet "does to a person" health-wise.  This is, sadly, merely indicative of what we repeatedly see when it comes to media-driven nutrition advice.  By following the news stories, we see a constant shift in what we should and should not eat.  With all the contradictory information out there, it's a wonder anyone knows what's really good (or bad) for them.  Whether I agree with them or not, through their claims and mud-slinging, both of the above diets address some critical issues that deserve attention.   So I thank both Tom Naughton and Mike Anderson for providing the inspiration I needed to tackle these difficult issues in an attempt to set the record straight.

(Tonight I made crumb-coated cod, Japanese rice in our rice cooker, and Brussels sprouts.  Nothing too exciting, but tasty nonetheless.) 

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!
P.S.  Because I keep referring to previous blog posts, I have placed my Blog Archive on the top of the right-hand column of this Blog for your convenience.