One-third of Americans report eating meatless meals regularly, and large quick-service and fast casual restaurant chains like Panera Bread and Taco Bell are offering more vegetarian options.

Many Americans are already moving toward greener and healthier diets. The exclusion of explicit advice to eat less meat and more plants is not only out of step with current science, which supports the idea that less meat leads to a healthier diet and healthier planet, but also with American consumers today. Even the American Cancer Society is critiquing the guidelines for not addressing the links between red and processed meats and cancer.

Despite these statements, the Guideline’s “ Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern” recommends 34 ounces, just more than 2 pounds, per week of meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood for a 2,000 calorie per day diet-exactly the same as the 2010 Dietary Guidelines had. Instead, buried within a sidebar is an acknowledgement of the strong evidence showing diets “that include lower intake of meats as well as processed meats and processed poultry are associated with reduced risk of CVD in adults.” Moderate evidence links reduced meat consumption to reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and some cancers, according to the same sidebar. As a result, the Dietary Guidelines fail to explicitly recommend reducing consumption of red and processed meats and replacing them with more plant-based proteins. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, these senators received over a million dollars from the food industry between 20, roughly half of which came from the beef and cattle industry. Last March, thirty Senators signed a letter to USDA and HHS challenging the Advisory Committee’s report and the inclusion of the “less meat, more plants” and sustainability messaging. The recommendation to consider the health and environmental impacts of foods and promote the benefits of plant-rich diets has been ruthlessly attacked by the meat industry, which has strong ties with members of Congress. Over 700 health professionals weighed in during the process, signing a letter endorsing “the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) recommendations to reduce consumption of animal foods and shift toward a more plant-based diet,” as well as its “recognition of sustainability as an essential component of federal dietary guidance.” Instead of heeding these experts, the agencies have caved to pressure from the meat and other industries, jeopardizing the long term health of the public and our environment. Unfortunately, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines have shirked critical advice from the scientific panel – and do not encourage diets consisting of less animal-based foods and more plant-based foods to promote health and protect the planet. They are used to inform school meal programs, federal food assistance, and other government meal programs. Updated every five years, the Dietary Guidelines are developed based on the recommendations of an expert scientific advisory committee, and are intended to serve as a comprehensive resource for Americans to identify healthy diet and lifestyle choices. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have finalized the long awaited 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

M.e.a.t. guidelines