Tag Archive for: USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025

Make Every Bite Count

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You’re eating vegetables, fruit, whole grains, dairy, proteins foods, and oils, and you’re staying within calorie limits for a healthy BMI. Does this sound abnormal to you? Sure, we can quibble about the need for dairy or the percentage of carbohydrates, but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are reasonable, and they’re almost exactly the same as when they were first written almost 50 years ago.

Is there a recommendation to “make sure you eat every cookie, candy, pie, and pasta in mass quantities every day” anywhere to be found? No. Is this a responsible approach to get the nutrients you need? Yes. The guidelines also recommend foods that are specific to cultures and ethnic groups and a variety of cooking styles.

Compare that with the keto recommendations of severely restricting carbohydrates, or veganism restricting animal products of any types, or the paleo diet restricting every grain for some unverifiable theory about what people ate in the Paleolithic era. Which sounds stranger to you now?

DGA Limitations

The DGA also includes these recommendations:

  • Added sugars: Less than 5% of calories per day starting at age 2. Avoid foods and beverages with added sugars for those under 2.
  • Saturated fat: Less than 10% of calories per day starting at age 2.
  • Sodium: Less than 2,300 milligrams per day, and even less for children younger than 14.
  • Alcoholic beverages: Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more.

The Bottom Line

Is there a lot to criticize about the DGA? Not really. Most people who do are actually criticizing the Western-style diet and the food selections people make when eating that way. Nowhere does it say that we should eat ultra-processed foods to fulfill the carbohydrate recommendations. As I’ve said, I like Cheetos and peanut butter cookies about as much as the next person, but those are not something to eat on a regular basis. As the occasional snack in small amounts, sure. But as a regular part of the diet? No. The guidelines can recommend, but they can’t control manufacturers to the extent that they produce only foods that fit within the DGA. That choice on how to follow the guidelines is laid upon your shoulders for you and your family.

Now that you know what the guidelines actually say, maybe you can make better decisions about what you want to put into your body and in what quantity. Remember the tag line of the DGA? Make every bite count. Your body, your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 Executive Summary

What Are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

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“Make every bite count.” You might think that phrase came from one of the many nutritional gurus on the Internet or in the thousands of books written about the best way to eat. Fact is, that’s the tagline from the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (DGA). Do you know what’s contained in those guidelines? We often see criticism of the DGA by those gurus, but they seem to be obsessed only with the supposed high carbohydrate levels and how bad that is for us. I thought we should review the guidelines so we understand the facts.

The most important change I see is an emphasis on nutrition in a baby’s first year and then at various life stages. The main focus, whatever the age group, is to focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits. Two concepts there that we shouldn’t miss: food first and don’t overeat for your health and activity pattern. A healthy dietary pattern consists of the same nutrient composition in the foods and beverages across all food groups, in recommended amounts, and within calorie limits.

Here are the core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern:

■  Vegetables of all types: dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables

■  Fruits, especially whole fruit

■  Grains, at least half of which are whole grain

■  Dairy, including fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy beverages and yogurt as alternatives

■  Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs; seafood; beans, peas, and lentils; and nuts, seeds, and soy products

■  Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food, such as seafood and nuts That’s it. Sounds reasonable to me—how about you? I’ll talk about what is unreasonable and the most important recommendation of the DGA on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 Executive Summary