Eat less meat for a healthier planet, panel advises

When the federal government doles out diet advice to Americans this year, it may take an extra step — looking out not only for the health of people’s bodies but the vigor of the planet.

An advisory panel charged with helping update the closely watched guidelines — which shape school meals as well as the decades-old food pyramid — released a report Thursday noting the vital role of everyday eating choices in promoting sustainability.

The report by about a dozen nutritionists and university researchers calls for Americans to eat more plant-based foods and less meat — advice that’s not new, but comes with an additional reason for heeding it: “lesser environmental impact.”

The panel’s conclusions bring the environmental debate, which has typically played out over oil pipelines and industrial emissions, squarely to the dinner table. Groups that have been skeptical of the Obama administration’s environmental agenda are likely to raise concern about the new push, while those supportive of the White House are already offering praise.

“These guidelines can have a huge impact on people’s diets and ultimately our natural resources,” said Kari Hamerschlag, senior program manager at Berkeley-based Friends of the Earth.

“The production and consumption of meat in the U.S. requires massive amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, feed, land and water,” she said. “Particularly for us here in California, with the drought, reducing meat consumption can reduce pressure on resources like water.”

The panel’s report notes that global food production is responsible for 80 percent of the planet’s deforestation, 70 percent of freshwater use and 30 percent of human-generated greenhouse gases.

“Addressing this complex challenge is essential to ensure a healthy food supply will be available for future generations,” the report reads.

Calls for less meat

The advisory group, though, stops short of advising people to eliminate meat from their diet. It simply calls for less meat, which is consistent with healthy eating, as well as consuming seafood that isn’t in short supply.

Thursday’s recommendations are part of a 571-page report that will be used by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to update dietary guidelines later this year.

The federal guidelines were first published in 1980 and are updated every five years. They primarily serve policymakers who manage nutrition programs and school lunches, for example, and dictate billions of dollars in spending.

They also inform the USDA’s advice for the general public. The agency used to promote the food pyramid as an easy-to-use nutritional tool, but recently reconfigured the icon into a dinner plate.

Much of the new report contains familiar recommendations that are unlikely to spur wholesale changes in dietary planning. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, for example, and trying to avoid saturated fat, salt and sugar, are central tenets.

Extra coffee is good

But there are new additions. Enjoying an extra cup of coffee — or five in a day — isn’t such a bad thing, the report says. It suggests coffee can even reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The panel also wrote that eating too much cholesterol-rich food, such as eggs, is not as big a problem as once thought. Mounting research has suggested cholesterol levels in the the bloodstream aren’t necessarily tied to food — or have a more complex association. The report recommends eliminating the current 300-milligram-a-day limit.

The report, though, calls for limits on sugar — no more than about 200 calories worth a day. This is a big concern for young people consuming sugary sodas and snacks, the report notes.

On the subject of meat, the group recommends a diet lower in meat that’s red and processed.

In the run-up to Thursday’s report, trade groups representing the beef and poultry industries have been critical of the panel. They contend that government efforts to safeguard the environment through food policy are misguided.

“If our government believes Americans should factor sustainability into their choices, guidance should come from a panel of sustainability experts that understands the complexity of the issue and address all segments: transportation, construction, energy management and all forms of agriculture,” the North American Meat Institute said in a statement Thursday.

The group added that the health benefits of eating lean meat should be “a headline, not a footnote.”

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander