4.7: Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (made up of our top experts), established by our Dept. of Agriculture and Dept. of Health and Human Services, recommends a set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans.* First published in 1980, they are revised every 5 years to reflect new scientific knowledge. Go to dietaryguidelines.gov for details and guidance.

The 2020-2025 Guidelines emphasize the concern with the increasing prevalence of obesity in children and adults and subsequent increases in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Dietary habits are hard to change, so a healthy dietary pattern that lessens the risk of obesity and related health problems should start early in life.

It’s advised that infants up to 6 months of age be exclusively fed human milk, and continue on human milk until at least age 1. If human milk is unavailable, substitute iron-fortified infant formula. Soon after birth, provide supplemental vitamin D. At age 6 months, introduce infants to a variety of nutrient-dense foods from all food groups to establish a healthy life-long dietary pattern.

A healthy dietary pattern limits foods and beverages high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Children younger than age 2 should avoid foods and beverages with added sugar. Starting at age 2, limit added sugar and saturated fat, each to less than 10% of daily calories. Limit sodium intake to less than 2300 mg/day.

Excess calories causes obesity. Meeting the dietary guidelines for a healthy diet (Figure 4.4) takes up most of our daily calorie requirement. As such, we need to limit our intake of added sugars (calories devoid of nutrients—“empty calories”). This includes sugars and syrups added to food, such as cookies, candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, and even the sugar we add to our coffee, tea, and bowl of breakfast cereal. Sugars found naturally in foods like plain fruit and milk aren’t “added sugars.”

Table 4-2: Eating Guide for Ages 9 and older

Sugar is added to a lot of foods (e.g., ketchup), but a major source in the typical American diet is sugar-sweetened beverages. Drinking such beverages at an early age can become part of a lifelong dietary pattern that increases the risk of obesity and related diseases. Limiting added sugar to 10% of daily calories means that at 2000 calories/day, added sugar not exceed 50 grams, 200 calories (10% of 2000 calories).

For starters, this means drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, e.g., a 12 oz can of Coca-Cola says it has 39 grams added sugar and 140 calories.* (Food labels are required to list the grams of added sugar per serving.) e.g., a 12 oz can of Coca-Cola says it has 39 grams added sugar and 140 calories.*

For those of us who love sweets, it’s hard to cut back. Alternatively, we could burn more calories to allow for more added sugar. As some runners say, “I run so I can eat more junk food!”

Table 4-3: A Healthy Weight

Alcohol is also a source of “empty calories,” and alcohol increases the risk of such diseases as cirrhosis of the liver and breast cancer. The guideline is to limit your intake on days that you drink to 1 drink for women and 2 for men. Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive shouldn’t drink any alcohol; alcohol can damage the unborn child.

One drink: about ½ oz pure alcohol, e.g., a 12-oz can or bottle of beer or wine cooler, 5g oz table wine, 1 jigger (1½ oz) vodka, rum, whisky, or gin.

^{*The Advisory Committee’s recommendations aren’t necessarily accepted by the government agencies that have the final say, e.g., the Committee advised that the limit of added sugar be lowered from 10% to 6% of total calories, and that men’s alcohol intake be lowered from 2 to 1 drink/day (due to increasing evidence of health risks with even low amounts of alcohol). Neither of these recommendations were adopted.
*It says on the can that the 39 grams of added sugar = 78% of the Daily Value (DV). This DV is based on the guideline of not more than 10% of calories from added sugar. The label also says it has 140 calories; indicating “favorable rounding of numbers” (39 gm x 4 cal/gm = 156 calories). A teaspoon of the table sugar you use in baking or put in your coffee weighs about 4 grams (x 4 calories/gram = 16 calories/teaspoon.}