10 Things to Know About the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture collaborate to publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines provide advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and help prevent chronic diseases. Last December, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines were announced. Here are the top 10 things to know about this latest release:

1. The Dietary Guidelines is developed to help all Americans. The Dietary Guidelines is based on scientific evidence on health-promoting diets in people who represent the general U.S. population, including those who are healthy, those at risk for diet-related diseases, and those living with these diseases.
2. There are 4 overarching Guidelines in the 2020-2025 edition:

• Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.
• Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
• Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
• Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.

3. There are Key Recommendations supporting the 4 Guidelines:

• Limit added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day for ages 2 and older and to avoid added sugars for infants and toddlers
• Limit saturated fat to less than 10% of calories per day starting at age 2
• Limit sodium intake to less than 2,300mg per day (or even less if younger than 14);
• Limit alcoholic beverages (if consumed) to 2 drinks or less a day for men and 1 drink or less a day for women.

4. This is the first time the Dietary Guidelines has provided guidance by stage of life, from birth to older adulthood, including pregnancy and lactation. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 provides guidance across all of the life stages and is organized by chapters for each life stage. The edition also emphasizes that it is never too early or too late to eat healthy!
5. This edition has a call to action: “Make Every Bite Count with the Dietary Guidelines.”The Dietary Guidelines, 2020-2025 focuses on choosing healthy foods and beverages rich in nutrients and staying within your calorie limit. Which is why the Dietary Guidelines calls on every American to Make Every Bite Count!
6. Making choices rich in nutrients should be the first choice. There is very little leeway for extra calories from added sugars, saturated fats, and alcohol (if consumed). Most of the calories a person eats each day (~85%) are needed for foods rich in nutrients that help the person meet food group recommendations. Only a small amount of calories (~15%) are left over for added sugars, saturated fat, and alcohol (if consumed).
7. It’s about the pattern of eating, not just healthy choices here and there. The Dietary Guidelines focuses on the combination of foods and beverages that make up an individual’s whole diet over time. Research shows that the ongoing pattern of an individual’s eating habits has the greatest impact on their health.
8. Most Americans still do not follow the Dietary Guidelines. The average American diet scores a 59 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which measures how closely a diet aligns with the Dietary Guidelines. Research shows that higher HEI scores can improve Americans health.
9. There are 3 Key Dietary Principles that can help people achieve the Dietary Guidelines and improve Americans’ eating patterns:

• Meet nutritional needs primarily from foods and beverages instead of supplements.
• Choose a variety of options from each food group.
• Pay attention to portion size.

10. The Dietary Guidelines is meant to be adaptable to personal preferences, cultural foodways and budgetary considerations. The Dietary Guidelines framework purposely provides recommendations by food groups and subgroups—not specific foods and beverages—to avoid being prescriptive. This framework approach ensures that people can “make it their own” by selecting healthy foods, beverages, meals, and snacks specific to their needs and preferences.

Here are the top 10 things to know about the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines.

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