Healthy foods sound simple: vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, plant protein, no added sugar. But when companies use them as marketing ploys for processed foods, watch out.
It’s time for New Yorkers to know exactly how much added sugars are lurking in the meals we consume at chain restaurants. We need the Sweet Truth Act so that New Yorkers will be able to see at a glance whether the drink, dessert, entrée, or side dish they’re about to order has more than a day’s worth of added sugars.
Bill 1326, which we call the “Sweet Truth Act,” sponsored by New York City Councilmember Mark Levine, would require warning icons on chain restaurant menus for items that that exceed 50 grams of added sugars, or an entire day’s worth.
It’s not always clear if ice creams are getting better for us...or just better at marketing. Should you go for a keto, plant-based, or protein-packed pint? Or pick one that adds olive oil, fruit, nuts, or fiber? Rule No. 1: Don’t confuse ice cream with health food. That said, you can scoop up a fabulous frozen treat without heading into Häagen-Dazs territory. Read on.
Sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and other sugary beverages lead to unhealthy weight gain and are linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Here's a roundup of what we're doing to help people dodge the sugar flooding our food supply.
CSPI submits these comments in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium” final rule (87 FR 6984), which will provide necessary flexibility to schools for SY 2022-2023 and SY 2023-2024 as they respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. CSPI urges the USDA to align school meals with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, particularly with respect to added sugars, sodium, and whole grains in the rulemaking expected later this year.
Unhealthy dietary patterns, characterized in part by high consumption of sodium and added sugars, are a leading risk factor for mortality due to heart disease and other conditions. Specific dietary risk factors, including high sodium and sugary beverage intake, are estimated to account for a substantial number of deaths in the United States.
The federal government should help Americans avoid weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems by setting a new added sugars standard for school foods and by requiring restaurants to disclose added sugars, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
