"In the first slate of nutritional recommendations it has issued since 2011, the federal government on Thursday gave health-conscious Americans the go-ahead to eat eggs and others foods rich in cholesterol, to drink as many as five cups of coffee daily, and to enjoy a range of fats long avoided by many.

The new dietary guidelines, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, also urged Americans to move toward diets more heavily derived from plants. Drawing a link for the first time between the planet's health and that of Americans, the new federal guidelines said the widespread adoption of diets lower in animal protein and richer in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts would lower rates of disease as well as ease pressure on the environment.

Issued every five years, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines set nutritional standards for state and federal programs such as school lunches, food stamps and programs benefiting children and pregnant women."

Melissa Healy reports for the Los Angeles Times January 7, 2016. [2]