2015 Dietary Guidelines - Yeah for Eggs!! Limits on Sugar

One of my favorite egg dishes

In case you haven't gotten your daily dose of news, the U.S. has posted the 2015 Dietary Guidelines and they contain some surprises and for some of us...some validation we've been waiting on for some time.  Turns out...eggs are okay and haven't been proven to increase blood cholesterol.  There are no limits on how many eggs you can eat a day.  I think, I'll make deviled eggs this weekend..

What was really quite refreshing for me and an obvious peeve for the soda industry is that there are now limits on sugar intake!  I am actually astonished to know that there haven't been guidelines on sugar intake before.

Here's a little snapshot directly from the guidelines for you to see what that means:

"Because added sugars and solid fats are not nutrient dense and solid fats contribute to saturated fat intake, the USDA Food Patterns recommend that intake be limited. The guidance on the approximate amounts of solid fats and added sugars that can be part of a healthful diet is as follows: children ages 2 to 8 years: 120 calories/day; children 9 to 13 years: 120 to 250 calories/day; girls ages 14 to 18 years: 120 to 250 calories/day; boys ages 14 to 18: 160 to 330 calories/day; adult women: 120 to 250 calories/day; and adult men: 160 to 330 calories/day. Intake limits varies by age and sex and are based on residual calories after all food group intakes are met. The intake limits include solid fats and added sugars from all sources in the diet: from sugar in sugar-sweetened beverages, including coffee and tea, and breakfast cereals, to solid fats in burgers, sandwiches, and pizza, to the combination of solid fats and added sugars in snacks and desserts such as cookies, cakes, ice cream, and donuts."  - find this information here:  http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/06-chapter-1/d1-3.asp

What does 120 calories of solid fats and added sugars look like:

My homemade beignets... I stop at 3 of these

A medium sized donut with chocolate glaze is 193 calories, 6 grams saturated fat and 11 grams of sugar. - The 11 grams sugar approximately 3 teaspoons - 48 calories + 6 grams of saturated fat at 9 calories a gram - 54 calories: - 102 calories right there - this would be advising an eight year old to stop after 1.

There are some very popular items out there which people may even frequent daily.  For all our Starbucks lovers out there who may love that blueberry yogurt muffin with honey!  It sounds awesome!  30 grams of sugar and 4 grams of saturated fat. -120 calories from the sugar and 36 from the fat - total: 156 calories. - You better have your coffee black with that one...

These exercises remind me why I count carbs and not calories and why, I'm not going to count my sugar.  Because at 50 gross carbs a day (I do not subtract the fiber) - if 100% of my carbs came from sugar that would be 200 calories.  Most of my carbs come from vegetables so I know I'm in the clear here.

Hope I didn't spoil your breakfast!

Happy Carb Counting