The federal government just released their dietary guidelines for 2015-2019, and most of them should come as no surprise. The guidelines are updated every five years to reflect current research and recommendations in the interest of promoting public health. For the most part, they tend to remain much the same: eat more vegetables and whole grains, avoid sugars and trans fats. The updates this year include changes to the recommended sugar intake (which should now be only 10% of daily calorie intake),  increases in allowable salt intake for certain demographic groups (now up to 2,300 mg a day), and the removal of a daily cholesterol recommendation. There was no recommendation to avoid red meat, despite the studies from the World Health Organization earlier this year indicating that it has carcinogenic properties on par with tobacco. All this is great news for anyone looking to replace their sugary pancakes and waffles with an extra helping of sausage and eggs.

Even better is the news that the department of health has finally gotten on board with “moderate” (up to 5 cups a day) coffee consumption. Citing a growing body of research indicating that coffee can help prevent everything from diabetes to cancer, the new guidelines say that coffee can be part of a “healthy lifestyle.” Although research indicates that, unsurprisingly, genetics play a strong role in the effects of coffee on the body, the report still acknowledges the many benefits available from your morning cup of joe. Just remember to hold the sugar with that.

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