Healthy eating has been defined by the federal government in two documents, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines) and MyPyramid (www.MyPyramid.gov).
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to promote health and to reduce risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity for Americans two years and older. Specific recommendations include:
• Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages.
• Maintain body weight in a healthy range.
• Engage in regular physical activity, and reduce sedentary activities.
• Consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables (5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day depending on the individual’s caloric intake).
• Consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fats.
• Consume less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol.
• Consume as little trans fats as possible.
• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
• Consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
• Choose and prepare foods with little salt.
• Consume potassium-rich foods (such as fruits and vegetables).
• If you choose to drink alcohol, do so sensibly and in moderation.
Because people have different nutrient needs, MyPyramid helps individuals determine how they can best meet the recommendations in The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It provides options to help Americans make healthy food choices and to be active every day. There are four major themes from MyPyramid:
1) variety—eat foods from all food groups and subgroups;
2) proportionality—eat more of some foods and less of others;
3) moderation—choose forms of foods that limit intake of saturated or trans fats, added sugars, cholesterol, salt, and alcohol; and
4) activity—be physically active every day.
