Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | N | Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia

Red meat and food guides.

Article Excerpt
KEY POINTS

* A re-examination of equivalence between meats and alternatives in food guides is required in view of new recommendations for intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the issue of bioavailability in relation to iron and zinc.

* While plant-based alternatives provide protein, with some exceptions, they are generally poorer sources of bioavailable iron and zinc and do not contain vitamin B12 or long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

* If a single guide to suit all styles of eating is retained, consideration will need to be given to the amounts recommended for this food group.

* An alternative is to provide separate guides for omnivorous and vegetarian cuisines, in which case the plant-based alternatives in the former could be relocated with the vegetable category, or in the case of nuts and seeds, within a category of healthy fats and oils (as sources of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins).

INTRODUCTION

In 2006, a new set of nutrient intake recommendations, the Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs), were jointly produced by the Australian and New Zealand Governments under the auspices of the National Health and Medical Research Council. (1)

The NRVs contain recommendations about the daily amounts of the various nutrients required for adequate physiological function and/or prevention of deficiency states (estimated average requirements (EAR), and recommended dietary intakes or adequate intakes) and, for some nutrients, there was an additional set of recommendations for chronic disease prevention, an area not addressed in earlier versions of national nutrient recommendations.

Traditionally, the role of diet in chronic disease prevention has been primarily addressed in the essentially qualitative Australian Dietary Guidelines, (2-4) which provide general guidance on optimal patterns of eating for health within the cultural context. The guideline statements take the form of food choice strategies, such as 'eat less fat'. The Dietary Guidelines also address related issues that can affect chronic disease risk, such as the need for physical activity, prevention of weight gain and breastfeeding.

In the...