“Our common health challenge is to increase and diversify the consumption of whole grains, vegetables, berries and fruits, as well as reduce the intake of red meat and processed meat,” Maijaliisa Erkkola, a professor of nutrition at the University of Helsinki, summed up in a press release.
Erkkola served as the chairperson of the task force that drew up the new nutritional guidelines. The previous guidelines were published in 2014.
The Finnish Food Authority also pointed out that, for environmental reasons, the consumption of red meat should be well below 350 grams a week and recommended that in the long term the combined consumption of poultry and red meat be limited to 350 grams a week.
“Ultimately what each of us eats is a personal choice, but it is good to recognise that a more plant-heavy diet reduces not only health risks, but also the climate burden, eutrophication and the pressure for global disappearance of species,” reminded Juha-Matti Katajajuuri, a special researcher at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).
One underutilised option to replace animal proteins is legumes, said Jelena Meinilä, an assistant professor at the University of Helsinki.
“We only eat 13 grams of legumes a day on average. Legumes are an excellent source of plant protein. Together with grain products they can replace meat in diets, also reducing the environmental effects of food consumption,” she commented.
The guidelines were revised also in regards of alcohol use.
Finns are now encouraged to abstain entirely from alcohol on grounds that there is no safe level for alcohol use. The previous guidelines set a daily limit on alcohol use of 10 grams for women and 20 grams for me, amounts that translate roughly to one and two servings.
The Finnish Food Authority is urging Finns to limit the intake of caffeine to 400 milligrams a day, equalling roughly two portions of energy drinks or four cups of brewed coffee. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should limit their intake to 200 grams a day, and children and young people to three milligrams per kilo of bodyweight a day.
Unfiltered coffee, such as cowboy coffee, espresso-based drinks, and Greek and Turkish coffee, should be limited due to its impact on cholesterol levels.
The consumption of coffee should be reduced also on environmental grounds, with the authority reminding that coffee is one of the most environmentally damaging ingredient in the diets of Finns.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
