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The ABC's of Healthy Eating, The Dietary Guidelines

© Stephanie Hembree

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans represent the best thinking (at the moment) in the field of nutrition and health. It is also the basis for all Federal nutrition information and education programs for Americans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services developed the guidelines in 1980. They are updated every five years and now we are using the 5th edition published in 2000. To see the evolution of the guidelines visit the Food and Nutrition Information Center's Summary Table Comparing all Five Editions of the Guidelines. I however, am going to concentrate on the 2000 Editions since it is the most current and it is very different from the previous versions.

Among other things it went from 7 guidelines to 10. These 10 guides are then grouped into three main areas.

A - AIM FOR FITNESS... Aim for a healthy weight. Be physically active each day.

B - BUILD A HEALTHY BASE... Let the Pyramid guide your food choices. Choose a variety of grain daily, especially whole grains. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Keep food safe to eat.

C - CHOOSE SENSIBLY... Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat. Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars. Choose and prepare foods with less salt. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

The Aim for Fitness information is very helpful it goes into detail on how to evaluate your weight and manage your weight. Talks about how to be physically active each day.

But the most exciting part is Build a Healthy Base. While I have always thought the Food Guide Pyramid was a good way to gage your eating, it is not without it's flaws (like the rest of us). These guidelines address some of the issues that were of concern to me. It discusses how many servings you need, what a serving is and probably my biggest concern. It discusses the importance of whole grains. To read is further about whole grains Get on the Grain Train.

Possible more exciting is the Choose Sensibly where it explains fat. I think we as a nation or completely confused and afraid of fat. This area speaks to why we need fat, what are the types of fat and where fat is found. This section also points out the realities of sugar and the pitfalls one can fall into. For the complete guidelines.