2.2: Understanding the Dietary Guidelines

Learning Objective

• Describe the four overarching guidelines of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The first US dietary recommendations were set by the National Academy of Sciences in 1941. The recommended dietary allowances (RDA) were first established out of concern that America’s overseas World War II troops were not consuming enough daily nutrients to maintain good health. The first Food and Nutrition Board was created in 1941, and in the same year set recommendations for the adequate intakes of caloric energy and eight essential nutrients. These were disseminated to officials responsible for food relief for armed forces and civilians supporting the war effort.

Since 1980, the dietary guidelines have been reevaluated and updated every five years by the advisory committees of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are continually revised to keep up with new scientific evidence-based conclusions on the importance of nutritional adequacy and physical activity to overall health. While dietary recommendations set prior to 1980 focused only on preventing nutrient inadequacy, the current dietary guidelines have the additional goals of promoting health, reducing chronic disease, and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Why Are Guidelines Needed?

The goal of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs.¹ Instituting nationwide standard policies provides consistency across organizations and allows healthcare workers, nutrition educators, schools, and local governments to improve nutrition and subsequently the health of their respective populations. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to help Americans eat a healthier diet. Intended for policymakers and health professionals, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide four overarching guidelines that encourage people to improve their overall dietary patterns — the complete combination of foods and drinks in their diet.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The four overarching guidelines of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans ("The Guidelines" by Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is in the Public Domain, CC0)

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans consist of four overarching guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life and recognize that individuals will need to make shifts in their food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy pattern.¹ The four guidelines and recommendations that support the guidelines are as follows:

1. Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.
   • For about the first 6 months of life, exclusively feed infants human milk. Continue to feed infants human milk through at least the first year of life, and longer if desired. Feed infants iron-fortified infant formula during the first year of life when human milk is unavailable. Provide infants with supplemental vitamin D beginning soon after birth.
   • At about 6 months, introduce infants to nutrient-dense complementary foods. Introduce infants to potentially allergenic foods along with other complementary foods. Encourage infants and toddlers to consume a variety of foods from all food groups. Include foods rich in iron and zinc, particularly for infants fed human milk.
   • From 12 months through older adulthood, follow a healthy dietary pattern across the lifespan to meet nutrient needs, help achieve a healthy body weight, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
3. Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
   • The core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern include:
     • Vegetables of all types: dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables
     • Fruits, especially whole fruit
     • Grains, at least half of which are whole grain
     • Dairy, including fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy beverages and yogurt as alternatives
     • Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs; seafood; beans, peas, and lentils; and nuts, seeds, and soy products
     • Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food, such as seafood and nuts
4. Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.
   • A healthy dietary pattern doesn’t have much room for extra added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium—or for alcoholic beverages. Limits are:
     • Added sugars: Less than 10 percent of calories per day starting at age 2. Avoid foods and beverages with added sugars for those younger than age 2.
     • Saturated fat: Less than 10 percent of calories per day starting at age 2.
     • Sodium: Less than 2,300 milligrams per day - and even less for children younger than age 14.
     • Alcoholic beverages: Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. There are some adults who should not drink alcohol, such as women who are pregnant.¹

In addition to the Dietary Guidelines, all Americans, regardless of age, should strive to meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans which discuss the proven benefits of physical activity and outline the amounts and types of physical activity recommended for different ages and populations. Additional information about the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will be covered in Chapter 11.

Key Takeaways

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are based on evolving scientific evidence and are updated every five years.
• The goal of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs.
• A healthy dietary pattern consists of nutrient-dense food and beverage choices that reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
• A healthy dietary pattern stays within calorie limits and includes a variety of vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, protein foods, and oils.
• A healthy dietary pattern limits added sugars, saturated fat, sodium, and alcoholic beverages.

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.