Healthy Eating & Nutrition
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a joint project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides individuals and families a great framework to build a healthy lifestyle.
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About the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
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The Dietary Guidelines for Americans project is intended for the general population aged 2 and older. The guidelines were last revised in 2005 and are updated every five years. The guidelines' goals provide the public with information on how to choose nutritious foods, attain adequate levels of exercise and promote food safety to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. The ten guidelines fit into three, ABC concepts: "Aim" for fitness, "Build" a healthy base and "Choose" sensibly.
Aim for Fitness
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--Aim for a healthy weight. Body mass index (BMI) is the tool most often used to assess if someone is at a healthy weight. This tool is available on line at: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. Your physician will also typically perform this calculation at your annual physical.
--Be physically active every day. According to the guidelines, adults should exercise 30 minutes daily, and children should exercise 60 minutes daily.
Build a Healthy Base
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--Let the nutrition pyramid guide your food choices. Since no single food can provide all of the nutrients an individual needs, the food-guide pyramid provides age-specific recommendations based on six major food groups to ensure variety, educate on portion sizes and encourage good health. To learn more about the food-guide pyramid and obtain your customized recommendation for age, sex, weight and height, go to: http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx. Recommendations are also available for preschoolers, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
--Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. Whole-grain examples include whole or cracked wheat, oatmeal, whole cornmeal and brown rice.
--Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables should cover half the plate at each meal and include a variety of colors. Juices should be 100 percent real fruit juice.
--Keep foods safe to eat. The best way to guard against foodborne illness is good hand washing. Additional food safety measures include: maintaining clean food preparation counters; separating raw, cooked and ready to eat foods when shopping, prepping and storing; cooking foods to a safe temperature; following the food label; storing perishable foods promptly; keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold; and when in doubt, throw it out.
Choose Sensibly
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--Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in fat intake. Individuals should read food labels and consume no more than 10 percent of their calories from saturated fat, less than 200 mg cholesterol/day and less that 30 percent of their dietary calories from fat, and avoid trans fatty acids.
--Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars. Sugar promotes tooth decay and is a source of empty calories. In August 2009, the American Heart Association recommended that U.S. females limit their sugar intake from foods to 100 calories/day and U.S. men to 150 calories/day.
--Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Salt intake should be limited to less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium/day and is primarily found in processed items such as canned foods, frozen dinners and boxed meal mixes. Americans should also reduce the amount of salt added when cooking and at the table.
--If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Women should limit their alcohol intake to one serving each day and men to two servings each day. One serving is the equivalent of 12 oz. of beer, 1 1/2 oz. of spirits or 5 oz of wine.
Habits Not Diets
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A wise person once said never go on a diet you can't follow for a lifetime. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are habits that you can follow for a lifetime. They are not short-term solutions that suggest quick weight loss. They are permanent changes individuals can make to their eating behavior that will result in a healthier lifestyle and reduce the risk of chronic disease and illness.
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