Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide nutritional advice for Americans that are 2 years of age and older about how to make food choices that promote good health, to help reduce the risk for major chronic diseases including those that are at increased risk of chronic diseases, and to reduce overweight and obesity through improved nutrition with emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is released every five years by the Secretaries of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and HHS (United States Department of Health and Human Services).
Based on a 2,000 diet:
Grains
Eat 6 ounces of grains every day.
Make half your grains whole.
Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain cereal, bread, crackers, rice, or pasta every day.
1 ounce is about 1 slice of bread, about 1 cup of cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta.
Vegetables
Eat 2 and 1/2 cups of vegetables every day.
Eat more dark green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy green vegetables.
Eat more orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.
Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils.
Fruits
Eat 2 cups of fruit every day.
Eat a variety of fruit.
Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit.
Go easy on fruit juices.
Milk and Milk Products
Get your calcium.
Drink 3 cups of milk every day. For kids aged 2 to 8, it’s 2 cups.
Go low fat or fat free when you choose milk, yogurt, and other milk products.
If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose free products or other calcium sources such as fortified foods and beverages.
Meat and Beans
Get your protein.
Eat 5 and 1/2 ounces of meat and beans every day.
Choose low fat or lean meats and poultry.
Bake it, broil it, or grill it.
Vary your protein routine, choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
Fats and Oils
Fats and oils are not listed as a food group, but you need some fat and oil for good health. Get your fats and oils from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids such as fish, nuts, and liquid vegetable oils such as canola oil, soybean oil, and corn oil. The recommended total fat intake is between:
- 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years old.
- 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years old.
- 20 to 35 percent of calories for adults.