US food guidelines put meat and dairy back on top, sparking debate

MILLIONS of South Africans seem to get through life quite well mostly on a diet of mielie pap, rooster brood, and sweet coffee, only occasionally brightened by an item from the revamped Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.

- ROELOF BEZUIDENHOUT

THROUGHOUT the world, farmers are also hard-pressed to make ends meet and keep their farms running (sometimes against all odds) and can do nothing to cut food prices. But they can use this new pyramid to promote their products, particularly meat - a handy scapegoat for a range of illnesses as well as global warming, says the writer.

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Recently published, this so-called healthy food pyramid has been completely inverted with animal proteins such as meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs - previously lower down - replacing grains at the top. This move immediately sparked a debate about the price of this new recommended diet and the US Department of Agriculture claiming that people can still have a good meal, consisting of some chicken, a piece of broccoli and a few other things, for as little as $3 (R45) a plate. In fact, the Trump administration said there were hundreds of meal options that would qualify under the new guidelines at no extra cost to the consumer. In South Africa it has become hard to buy a meal - healthy or not - for very much less than R45 a go.