Healthful diet proposal: Sugary drinks out, coffee, eggs in

WASHINGTON — Drink less sugary soda. But an extra cup or two of coffee is OK. So are eggs. And as always, don't forget your vegetables.

A government advisory committee is recommending the first real limits on added sugars, but it's backing off stricter ones for salt and cholesterol. It calls for an environmentally friendly diet lower in red and processed meats.

The Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments will use Thursday's report to write new dietary guidelines, due by the end of the year. The guidelines influence everything from federally subsidized school lunches to food package labels to doctors' advice.

Overall, the new advice doesn't stray too far from the guidelines issued in 2010: Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains; eat less saturated fats, salt and sugar.