Ready to empty out your pantry, everybody? This is going to hurt.

Even for those of us who are neither overweight nor obese, consuming too much sodium, solid fats, saturated and trans fatty acids, cholesterol, added sugars, and alcohol increases the risk of some of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. The USDA’s 2010 report took a hard look at saturated and trans fatty acids because, apart from the effects of saturated and trans fatty acids on cardiovascular disease risk, solid fats are abundant in the diets of Americans and contribute significantly to our over the top daily calorie intake.

 

Sodium

Yes, the USDA says to lay off of the salt. Virtually all Americans consume more sodium than they need. The estimated average intake of sodium for all Americans ages 2 years and older is approxi­mately 3,400 mg per day

The USDA recommends reducing daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams. For the 50% or so of Americans who have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease or are 51 or more years old, the recommendation drops to 1,500 mg.

For adults, and children, as sodium intake decreases, so does blood pressure. If you keep your salt consumption in the recommended rangers, you’ll significantly reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.

Other sources of sodium include chicken and chicken mixed dishes (7% of sodium intake), pizza (6%), and pasta and pasta dishes (5%).

The USDA recommends reducing your salt intake by:

• Reading the Nutrition Facts label for information on the sodium content of foods and purchase foods that are low in sodium
• Consuming more fresh foods and fewer processed foods that are high in sodium.
• Eating more home-prepared foods, where you have more control over sodium, and use little or no salt or salt-containing seasonings when cooking or eating foods.
• When eating at restaurants, ask that salt not be added to your food or order lower sodium options, if available.

 

Fats

The USDA was extremely concerned when it came to the amount of fats and added sugars that Americans consume. In fact, the report dedicated a larger portion of its findings to fats and sugars than it did to sodium.

Saturated Fatty Acids

People therefore have no dietary requirement for saturated fatty acids. Major sources of saturated fatty acids in the American diet include regular (full-fat) cheese (9% of total saturated fat intake); pizza (6%); grain-based desserts (6%); dairy-based desserts (6%); chicken and chicken mixed dishes (6%); and sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs (5%)

Trans Fatty Acids

This one is a tricky one. Consuming fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products and lean meats and poultry will reduce the intake of natural trans fatty acids. Because natural trans fatty acids are present in meat, milk, and milk products, their elimination is not recommended because this could have potential implications for nutrient adequacy.

Cholesterol

The major sources of cholesterol in the American diet include eggs and egg mixed dishes (25% of total cholesterol intake),chicken and chicken mixed dishes (12%), beef and beef mixed dishes (6%), and all types of beef burgers

Solid Fats and added sugars

Together, they contribute a substantial portion of the calories consumed by Americans—35 percent on average, or nearly 800 calories per day—without contributing to the dietary needs.

As a percent of calories from total added sugars, the major sources of added sugars in the diets of Americans are soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks (36% of added sugar intake), grain-based desserts (13%), sugar-sweetened fruit drinks (10%), dairy-based desserts (6%), and candy. Reaching for the water bottle yet?

How to avoid solid fats and sugars:

Focus on eating the most nutrient-dense forms of foods from all food groups.

• Limit the amount of solid fats and added sugars when cooking or eating (e.g., trimming fat from meat, using less butter and stick margarine, and using less table sugar).

• Consume fewer and smaller portions of foods and beverages that contain solid fats and/or added sugars, such as grain-based desserts, sodas, and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Alcohol if you’ve read this far, you’re probably wanting a drink right now. I don’t blame you, but we’ve only got two more culprits to go at this point.

Alcohol made the list in part due to the high caloric count. An estimated 9% of men and 4% of women consume more than one alcoholic drink a day, with 29% of adults admitting to binge drinking within the past month. The report admits that a limited amount of achol is permissible, but not in the amounts that Americans are drinking on a regular basis. Anyone taking over the counter medications, or suffering from liver disease, hypertriglyceridemia or pancreatitis are particularly at risk.

 

Refined Grains Ah, bread. After reading the report I’ve started to look at bread as a dessert, instead of an appetizer. because many refined grain products also are high in solid fats and added sugars (e.g., cookies and cakes).

Major sources of refined grains in the diets of Americans are yeast breads, pizza, grain-based desserts, and tortillas, burritos, and tacos.

I went to Sam’s Club this week, and as I went past the aisles in the food department, I just winced at all of the things that countained refined grains or also have those solid fats and added sugars.

That’s the full list of “what not to eat.” As you can see, it’s more complicated than just cutting down on the salt.

And it’s not easy to avoid any of it. The USDA is fully aware that food prices, advertising and grocery prices are contributing to the problem. And then there’s the issue of reading a food label. Do you know how to read one correctly? Next time, we’ll look at how to do that and some other tips for following the new dietary guidelines.

Happy eating!