Dietary Guidelines

What we eat is a crucial part of staying healthy. About half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overweight and obesity. (Read about "Coronary Heart Disease" "Diabetes" "Obesity") However, a large body of evidence now shows that healthy eating patterns and regular physical activity can help people achieve and maintain good health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Every five years, the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), issues dietary guidelines. The latest edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, takes a holistic view of nutrition. It is the basis of federal food programs and nutrition education programs.

Previous editions of the Dietary Guidelines focused primarily on individual dietary components such as food groups and nutrients. However, people do not eat food groups and nutrients in isolation but rather in combination, and the totality of the diet forms an overall eating pattern. The components of the eating pattern can have a big effect on health. People's eating patterns can be tailored to their preferences, enabling Americans to choose the diet that is right for them.

A growing body of research has examined the relationship between overall eating patterns, health, and risk of chronic disease, and findings on these relationships are sufficiently well established to support dietary guidance.

So, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines provide five overarching guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns, and also recognize that individuals will need to make shifts in their food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy pattern. The guidelines also embody the idea that a healthy eating pattern is not a rigid prescription, but rather, an adaptable framework in which individuals can enjoy foods that meet their personal, cultural, and traditional preferences and fit within their budget.

The Guidelines

Here are the five main principles:

• Follow a healthy eating pattern all through your life. All food and beverage choices matter. Choose a healthy eating pattern at an appropriate calorie level to help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, support nutrient adequacy, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
• Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount. To meet nutrient needs within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all food groups in recommended amounts.
• Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake. (Read about "Sodium") Consume an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats and sodium. Cut back on foods and beverages higher in these components to amounts that fit within healthy eating patterns.
• Shift to healthier food and beverage choices. Choose nutrient-dense foods and beverages across and within all food groups in place of less healthy choices. Consider cultural and personal preferences to make these shifts easier to accomplish and maintain.
• Support healthy eating patterns for all. Everyone has a role in helping to create and support healthy eating patterns in multiple settings nationwide, from home to school to work to communities.

Key Recommendations

The guidelines expand on each of these five principals with what are called key recommendations.

The Dietary Guidelines' Key Recommendations for healthy eating patterns should be applied in their entirety, given the interconnected relationship that each dietary component can have with others.

The idea is to consume a healthy eating pattern that accounts for all foods and beverages within an appropriate calorie level.

According to the recommendations, a healthy eating pattern includes:

• a variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups - dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy, and other
• fruits, especially whole fruits
• grains, at least half of which are whole grains
• fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages
• a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products
• oils, including those from plants: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. Oils also are naturally present in nuts, seeds, seafood, olives and avocados

Key Recommendations are provided for several things you should avoid or limit in your diet. These components are of particular public health concern in the United States, and the specified limits can help individuals achieve healthy eating patterns within calorie limits:

The recommendations suggest people limit themselves to the following:

• Less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars. Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those consumed as part of milk and fruits
• Less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats. Foods that are high in saturated fat include butter, whole milk, meats that are not labeled as lean, and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil
• Less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium for people over the age of 14 years and less for those younger. Also be aware of the sodium in processed foods like pizza, pasta dishes, sauces, and soups.
• If alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation - up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men - and only by adults of legal drinking age.

Nutrition Facts labels of packaged foods and from other sources can be used to check exactly what is in the food you are eating. (Read about "Food Labels")

Exercise

Americans should aim to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. The relationship between diet and physical activity contributes to calorie balance and managing body weight. In tandem with the recommendations above, Americans of all ages - children, adolescents, adults, and older adults - should meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to help promote health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. (Read about "Getting Started on Fitness")

An underlying premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that nutritional needs should be met primarily from foods. All forms of foods, including fresh, canned, dried, and frozen, can be included in healthy eating patterns. Foods in nutrient-dense forms contain essential vitamins and minerals and also dietary fiber and other naturally occurring substances that may have positive health effects. (Read about "Vitamins & Minerals" "Fiber & Health") In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements may be useful in providing one or more nutrients that otherwise may be consumed in less-than-recommended amounts.

My Plate

The MyPlate symbol is used to help promote healthy eating patterns. It is meant to encourage consumers to make healthy food choices in appropriate proportions. The MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.

The colors used on the MyPlate graphic are:

• Orange - Grains
• Green - Vegetables
• Red - Fruit
• Blue - Dairy products
• Purple - Proteins

The MyPlate icon also makes use of proportionality. The various sizes of the sections suggest how much food a person should choose from each group. The sizes are just a general guide, not exact proportions.