Hannah Fuerniss, manager of nutrition and health with Texas Beef Council, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to discuss the role of beef in a balanced diet. Fuerniss discusses the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a joint report from USDA and the Health and Human Services Department. The report is meant for nutrition and health professionals who make decisions and recommendations to improve overall health for individuals and families in the U.S. She shares there is great news for beef as the report recognizes lean meat can support a healthy lifestyle, and the nutrients found in beef are essential at every life stage.
The latest guidelines are segmented into life stages with more specific recommendations provided for each group. Fuerniss highlighted several life stages such as pregnant women, babies, toddlers, teen girls and older adults are at risk of deficiency of many nutrients readily available in beef such as iron, zinc, protein, B vitamins and choline. Through the conversation, Fuerniss goes into detail about feeding beef to babies as a first food, consuming beef during the adolescent years and the importance of beef for adults.