Finally, The FDA Redefines The Healthy Food List

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updates the "healthy" claim definition1 for the first time in three decades. The new definition makes space on the "healthy list" for foods that have long been overlooked and gives the boot to foods with problematic ingredients that have previously made the cut.

This change better reflects the last 30+ years of nutrition research and clarifies a few nutrition misconceptions that we, at mindbodygreen, have been talking about for years and are thrilled to see. Considering that nearly 88% of U.S. adults aren't metabolically healthy and 63% exceed the daily limit for added sugars in their diet, these guidelines are designed to help us make healthier food choices.

Back in the 90s, the "healthy" claim solely focused on individual nutrients.

For example, it included strict limits for saturated fats, total fats, cholesterol, and sodium and required a minimum presence (at least 10% of the Daily Value) of certain beneficial nutrients like Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber.

This definition reflected the nutrition advice of the time—low-fat diets are best and all types of fat should be limited. And looking too closely at individual nutrients and not the food as a whole leaves a lot of room for error.

Thankfully (although overdo) the updated "healthy" claim1 got some much needed adjustments.

The new definition still has limits in place for nutrients like saturated fats and sodium. Now, added sugars have rightfully been included while total fat and dietary cholesterol have been removed.

These food groups innately provide an array of different nutrients that are beneficial for health. For example, we wouldn't expect fruits to provide a significant amount of protein and we can't expect protein foods like meat or seafood to provide fiber.

And what's great about this new definition is that these limits and minimums are specific to each food group.

For example, a 2/3 cup serving of dairy (about an size of a single-serve yogurt container) has a higher saturated fat limit than grains, accounting for the foods natural fat content.

It's about time that we see nutrient dense foods like eggs and salmon on the healthy list. Fat is an important macronutrient for hormone health2 and heart health3, and hopefully this updated definition phased out one of the last official remnants of the low-fat era.

It's also long been known that dietary cholesterol is not the main driver of high blood cholesterol. Instead eating excess calories and refined carbohydrates have the most impact on our cholesterol levels. So we're pleased to see dietary cholesterol no longer being a limited nutrient and seeing added sugars on the list instead.

These changes are definitely a step in the right direction for helping us recognize health, nutritious foods in a more holistic way.