2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines

Make Every Bite Count

New 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA’s) was recently released.Updated every five years, the DGA’s provide recommendations on what to eat and drink to be healthy, prevent chronic disease, and meet daily nutrition needs.

Notable differences between this edition and previous versions include recommendations by life stages, from infants to older adults.For children under age two, it’s now advised to completely avoid food or beverages with added sugars.There are also guidelines for pregnant and lactating women and healthy dietary patterns for Mediterranean and vegetarian meal plans.

The theme of “Make Every Bite Count” encourages nutrient-dense foods, including a variety of fresh vegetables; whole fruits; whole grains; proteins such as lean meat, fish, beans, and tofu; and low fat dairy products.“Nutrient-dense foods provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.”

The FULL version of the DGA’s (a 150-page download) can be found here.

Consumer Resources include a smaller brochure with basics, tips for eating healthy on a budget, and My Plate eating plans which can be customized to your age, height, weight, and physical activity level.Links on the Consumer Resources page go to additional apps and information on nutrition facts labels and food safety.

January 14, 2020, JDM

January 14, 2020, JDM

Last updated January 15, 2021