USDA/HHS Publish New Dietary Guidelines
The United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services have released their 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
This is the ninth edition of the guidelines, originally published in 1980. It features 4 overarching guidelines that “encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life”:
- Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every stage of life
- Customize nutrient-dense choices that reflect personal preference, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
- Meet food group needs with nutrient-dense foods while staying within calorie limits.
- Limit added sugars, saturated fat, sodium, and alcoholic beverages.
Of note, despite a recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in the summer of 2020 that alcohol be limited to one beverage per day and that added sugars make up less than 6% of energy consumed, the 2020-2025 guidelines remain consistent with the 8th edition, recommending that alcoholic beverages be limited to one drink per day for women and two per day for men, and that sugar should make up less than 10% of energy consumed. However, the new guidelines now recommend that children under age 2 years should not consume any added sugar.
“Grounded in the current body of scientific evidence on diet and health that is relevant to all Americans, the Dietary Guidelines is a critically important tool for health professionals, policymakers, and many other professionals. It is designed to help people make food and beverage choices all through life that are enjoyable and affordable and that also promote health and help prevent chronic disease,” the authors wrote.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Published December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf