Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Dietary Recommendations for Americans



The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are just what they say they are - guidelines which are set for individuals and if they would actually follow them, then most people's nutrient needs would easily fall into place.  These guidelines are a great way to promote health and help with choosing nutritious foods.  According to a press release by the USDA (2011),
"2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a time when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore," said Secretary Vilsack. "These new and improved dietary recommendations give individuals the information to make thoughtful choices of healthier foods in the right portions and to complement those choices with physical activity. The bottom line is that most Americans need to trim our waistlines to reduce the risk of developing diet-related chronic disease. Improving our eating habits is not only good for every individual and family, but also for our country."

Dietary recommendations included the following:

• Adequate nutrients within energy needs
• Consume a variety of foods that are rich in nutrients
• Limit intakes of saturated and trans fats
• Adopt a balanced eating pattern such as the recommendation from ChooseMyPlate.gov
• Weight management
• Balance calories so that you can maintain a healthy weight
• Make sure that the calories you consume are less than the physical energy you burn
• Physical activity
• Exercise regularly and reduce your sedentary activities to promote overall health and wellness
• Make sure your physical activity includes cardiovascular conditioning, weights/resistance training, and stretching to increase flexibility.
• Food groups to encourage
• Ensure that you are consuming enough fruits, vegetables, milk/dairy products, and whole grains so that you can maintain your energy needs
• Add variety - make sure you consume a wide range of fruits, include vegetables - all colors.  Your whole grains should make up at least half of your grain selection.  Always choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Fats
• Make sure your saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol consumption is low.  These should make up less than 10 percent of your calories consumed. 
• Total fat intake should be somewhere between 20-35% of calories and should mostly come from unsaturated fats such as nuts, fish, and vegetable oils.
• Carbohydrates
• You should choose fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are high in fiber.
• Try to add as little sugar as possible.
• Sodium and Potassium
• Always try and prepare foods with less salt (less than 2300mg).
• Consume potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables.
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Always be sensible and drink in moderation.
• Food Safety
• To avoid things like food poisoning, keep foods safe: always wash your hands, clean surfaces that come into contact with food, always cook foods to their safe internal temperature.

The best way to ensure that you meet these guidelines are met are to make sure you eat more vegetables (particularly the dark green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, and legumes), eat plenty of fruit, wholes grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.  Once you get into this habit, it will become easier.  Start replacing your sodas for water or sparkling water; you can even add lime or lemon to it to give it some flavor.  If you do these things, and keep eating in moderation, then you should start working towards a healthier, happier life!

Reference:

USDA (2011, January 31). USDA and HHS Announce New Dietary Guidelines to Help Americans Make Healthier Food Choices and Confront Obesity Epidemic. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011/01/0040.xml