Low-income families could struggle with new dietary guidelines

A Minnesota researcher says new dietary recommendations from the federal government could be hard for some low-income families to follow.

The U.S. government released its new dietary guidelines on Monday. Some of the recommendations encourage eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Mary Story, a dietician at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, said those foods can be expensive -- and hard to find in some low-income areas.

"We have to as a country really look at the food that we're marketing, the food that's available, especially in lower-income communities where they don't have access to the healthier food products," Story said. "People can't eat it if it's not available. Even if it's available, if it's priced too high, people aren't going to buy it."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack conceded that healthy foods can be expensive or difficult to access in some areas, but said the government and communities around the country are working to change that.