The San Francisco Chronicle, perhaps taking a hint from the New York Times, had a handful of its staff members attempt to eat according to the new U.S. Government dietary guidelines. To cut to the chase, all the reporters had a hard time sticking to the "healthy diet." They missed meat, fat, salt and white flour. They hated eating their fruits and vegetables. They didn't want to consume three cups of milk a day.

One of the things that struck me right away about the new guidelines, however, was
good news for burrito lovers: legumes have apparently been reclassified as a vegetable, rather than a grain. (Refritos are a vegetable! I am the healthiest person alive!)

The Chronicle also analyzed a typical Mission district super burrito (weight 1.5 pounds)to see how far it went toward filling the "healthy diet" requirements. (Scroll to the very bottom of the article.) Not surprisingly, it was a little heavy in the fat and salt department. But in other respects, it did pretty well, providing 2 of the recommended 2.5 cups of vegetables, 1.33 of the recommended 3 cups of milk, and 2/3 of the recommended 5.5 oz. of meat. The only place it lets you down is in the grain department: spanish rice plus large tortilla puts you 2 servings over the recommended 3 for refined grains.