Are FDA's "Healthy" Standards Convincing?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) talking about health - is it convincing? Everyone might be familiar with "less salt," and last year, they added "sugar" to the list too.

The FDA's standards for labeling packaged foods as "healthy" aim to standardize and modernize the way nutritional information is presented, with a focus on reducing the burden of diet-related diseases.

Generally, each serving of food should not exceed 2.5 grams of added sugar, although this may vary depending on the nature of the food. The FDA states that sodium content should also be limited to no more than 230 milligrams per serving. For example, a serving of yogurt around 170 grams that contains over 2.5 grams of added sugar, exceeding 5% of the recommended daily intake, would not meet the "healthy" standard. If a frozen meal containing salmon, green beans, and brown rice has over 4 grams of saturated fat per serving, it would not meet the "healthy" criteria.

The new definition further encourages healthy eating by prioritizing a mix of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, proteins, and certain oils (including plant oils). "Healthy" foods must include at least one of these food categories and stay below the recommended limits for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.

Unprocessed whole fruits and vegetables automatically meet the standard. Got it? Eating whole foods means you don't have to read labels, less additives, back to nature, and back to a healthier body.