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2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

hunutritionforyou
Jan 27, 2021
3 min read

The new 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are here! Released on December 29th, 2020, the Dietary Guidelines Committee comprising of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled the revised Guidelines.

https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

The Dietary Guidelines “provide policymakers and nutrition and health professionals with the tools to help all individuals and their families consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet.” It is also used to help Americans make healthy choices to help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. It can also serve as the foundation to make nutrition education materials.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines contain four new Guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life. These include: (1) follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage; (2) customize and enjoy nutrient-dense foods 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; and (4) limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.

For the first time ever, the Dietary Guidelines Committee has offered nutritional guidance based on life stage, specifically recommendations for healthy dietary patterns for infants and toddlers. These guidelines include birth to 24 months, pregnant and lactating women and older adults. Outlining that for the first 6 months of life, one should exclusively feel infants human milk through the first year of life or longer if desired. Infants should also be fed iron-fortified infant formula during the first year of life if human milk is unavailable. At about 6 months, infants should be introduced to nutrient-dense complementary foods. Nutrient-dense foods include foods that are high in vitamins and minerals that are necessary for human health. From 12 months through older adulthood, a healthy diet across the lifespan should be followed to meet nutrient needs, help achieve a healthy body weight, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

The second Guideline encourages Americans to customize their plates to fit their personal needs and preferences with foods from many diverse cultures. A healthy dietary pattern can benefit all individuals regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or current health status.

The next Guideline focuses on Americans meeting their food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages. The third Dietary Guideline suggests that nutritional needs should be met primarily through nutrient-dense foods and beverages across all food groups, in recommended amounts and within calorie limits. The core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern include vegetables of all types, fruits, grains, diary, protein foods, and oils.

The fourth Guideline suggests that Americans limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages. Added sugars should make up less than 10 percent of calories per day starting at age 2 while avoiding foods and beverages with added sugars for those younger than age 2. Saturated fat should consist of less than 10 percent of calories per day starting at age 2. Sodium should make up less than 2,300 milligrams per day – and even less for children younger than age 14. Adult who chose to drink should do so in moderation and men should limit intake to two drinks or less per day and women to one drink of less per day. Some adults should not drink alcohol such as pregnant women.