The FDA Wants to Change What Qualifies as “Healthy” Food—An R.D. Explains What That Means for You

The proposed update aims to make nutritious food choices easier for everyone.

Did you know that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not changed its rules about what foods can be declared “healthy” on a package label? since 1994? Basically, that means that the current regulatory definition of what constitutes a healthy food ingredient or product does not reflect the advances of nearly 30 years in the science of health and nutrition. But it looks like the FDA’s “healthy” criteria are about to get a long-awaited makeover.

the agency recently announced a plan to propose “update the definition of the implied ‘healthy’ nutrient content claim to be consistent with current nutrition science and federal dietary guidance,” which includes the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025), as well as the updated version Nutrition facts label.

This new categorization is intended to focus more on the value of eating certain food groups rather than trying to get individual nutrients, an approach that Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, registered dietitian and NOW Wellness ExpertIs excited.

“This is a incredible a step forward,” says Blatner. “The new definition would focus on the actual food groups, which is exactly what health professionals tell people to focus on for overall health. These days we know that good nutrition does not come from the intake of individual nutrients, but rather [from] eat food groups that have a bunch of different nutrients working together.”

Under the proposed rules, Blatner explains, a food product must meet the following criteria to be eligible to carry the “healthy” label:

1. Must contain a significant amount of a food from at least one food group recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines (eg, vegetables, dairy, whole grains).

2. It should contain a limited amount of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.

Blatner also adds that the new label would no longer account for total fat and would start including added sugars. “[This] is a big change as we now know that it is not about eating low fat, but about eat the right kinds of fat,” she says. “And keeping added sugar in check is important, since 63 percent of us exceed recommendations for added sugar.”

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What is behind the proposed change?

The question is No to make shopping for food and eating well even more complicated. Rather, the goal is to help educate and empower consumers to recognize and choose rich in nutrients, good for you simpler foods, which can ultimately help contribute to a long and healthy life.

“The proposed rule is part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to help consumers improve nutrition and dietary patterns to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and promote health equity,” the agency said. FDA press release it says, adding that “adopting the updated definition may help foster a healthier food supply if some manufacturers reformulate … or develop products that meet the updated definition.”

The FDA is also working on creating a new “healthy” symbol to appear on food, also intended to help consumers identify smart, nutritious choices with ease.

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So what foods are healthy according to the FDA?

The good news is that the FDA is catching up here, so this probably wouldn’t change our basic understanding of healthy and balanced diet Upside down. And it’s certainly not promoting some fad diet or a new list of trendy, expensive, hard-to-pronounce superfoods.

In fact, it would really confirm a lot of what we know with a visual stamp of approval. Tons of familiar foods that I already recognize it as rich in nutrients and good for yous would meet a newly coined regulatory definition and could use a literal “healthy” claim on packaging.

“Under the proposed definition, whole raw fruits and vegetables would automatically qualify for the ‘healthy’ claim due to their nutrient profile and their positive contribution to an overall healthy diet.” the fda explains.

Often recommended foods such as nuts, seeds, eggs, fatty fish (such as salmon, anchovies, and albacore tuna), olive oil, low-sugar yogurt, and even bottled water would make the cut. In fact, according to the existing definition (again, established in 1994!), foods such as avocadoshigh-fat fish and certain oils are technically No eligible to claim the “healthy” label, something the proposed rules would change. At the other end of things, foods that currently qualify to carry the “healthy” claim (white bread, breakfast cereals, and sugar-packed yogurts) would no longer qualify.

“The proposed new definition [would] reinforce the solid nutrition advice we are already giving: [That] vegetables, fruits, whole grains, shellfish, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and poultry (when prepared with little or no added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) are nutrients – dense foods that can help us stay healthy,” says Blatner.

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