USDA Food Patterns
The USDA Food Patterns were developed to help individuals carry out Dietary Guidelines recommendations. They identify daily amounts of foods, in nutrient-dense forms, to eat from five major food groups and their subgroups. The patterns also include an allowance for oils and a limit on the maximum number of calories available for other uses, such as added sugars, solid fats, added refined starches, or alcohol. Three USDA Food Patterns have been developed to allow for flexibility in how Dietary Guidelines recommendations can be met: the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern, the Healthy Vegetarian Pattern, and the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Pattern.
Recommended amounts and limits in the three USDA Food Patterns at 12 calorie levels, ranging from 1,000 calories to 3,200 calories, are shown in documents below. Patterns at 1,000, 1,200, and 1,400 calorie levels meet the nutritional needs of children ages 2 to 8 years. Patterns at 1,600 calories and above meet needs for adults and children ages 9 years and older. Individuals should follow a pattern that meets their estimated calorie needs, which can be found in the "Energy Levels Used for Assignment of Individuals to USDA Food Patterns" table, in the technical tables below.
Available Resources for the 2015 USDA Food Patterns:
- Healthy US-Style Pattern: Recommended Intake Amounts
- Healthy Vegetarian Pattern: Recommended Intake Amounts
- Healthy Mediterranean-Style Pattern: Recommended Intake Amounts
- Sample Meal Patterns for the Healthy US-Style Food Pattern at the 2000 Calorie Level
- Technical Tables for the 2015 USDA Food Patterns:
- Estimated Calorie Needs per Day – Energy Levels Used for Assignment of Individuals to USDA Food Patterns
- Item Clusters, Percent of Consumption, and Representative Foods for USDA Food Pattern Food Groups and Subgroups
- Nutrient Profiles for Food Groups and Subgroups in the 2015 USDA Food Patterns
- Nutrients in Healthy US-Style Food Pattern: Nutrients in the Pattern at each calorie level and comparison of nutrient content to the nutritional goals for that Pattern
- Nutrients in Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern: Nutrients in the Pattern at each calorie level and comparison of nutrient content to the nutritional goals for that Pattern
- Nutrients in Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern: Nutrients in the Pattern at each calorie level and comparison of nutrient content to the nutritional goals for that Pattern
- Recommended amounts in comparison to usual intake distributions:
These figures present a comparison of the recommended intake amounts in the Healthy US-Style Pattern to the range of usual intakes calculated by the National Cancer Institute. The recommended intake amounts from each food group or subgroup and oils are compared to the median (50th percentile) and either the 5th or 95th percentile of usual intake for the 2007-10 What We Eat in America/National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. For under-consumed food groups, recommended intake amounts are targeted to fall between the median and 95th percentile of usual intake, though for some specific food groups and sex/age groups, amounts may be somewhat above the 95th percentile of intake. For overconsumed food groups (such as refined grains), recommended amounts are targeted to fall between the 5th percentile of intake and the median intake.
- Total Vegetables, Dark Green Vegetables, Red and Orange Vegetables, Starchy Vegetables, Other Vegetables, and Beans and Peas
- Fruit
- Whole Grains, Refined Grains
- Dairy
- Protein Foods, Seafood
- Oils
Resources for Food Pattern Modeling Analyses for earlier versions of the Dietary Guidelines:
- Technical tables for the "Typical" rather than "Nutrient-dense" food choices analysis, completed for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Addenda to Britten et al., Impact of typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices in the US Department of Agriculture Food Patterns, JAND 112(10): 1560-1569, 2012
- Item Clusters, Percent of Consumption, and Representative Foods for Typical Choices Food Patterns
- Nutrient Profiles for Food Groups and Subgroups using "Typical" Food Choices in USDA Food Patterns
- Nutrients in 2010 USDA Typical Food Patterns, at All Calorie Levels
- Comparison of nutrients in "Typical" Food Patterns to nutritional goals, at all calorie levels
- 2006 Supplement to the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior on Development of the MyPyramid Food Guidance System
Archived Resources for the 2010 USDA Food Patterns:
- 2010 USDA Food Patterns
- Estimated calorie needs per day
- Sample meal patterns for the USDA Food Pattern at the 2000 calorie level
- Technical Tables for the 2010 USDA Food Patterns:
- Item clusters, percent of consumption, and representative foods, for all USDA Food Patterns food groups or subgroups
- Nutrient profiles for food groups and subgroups in USDA Food Patterns
- Nutrients in 2010 USDA Food Patterns at all calorie levels
- Comparison of nutrient content of each 2010 USDA Food Pattern to nutritional goals for that pattern
- Nutrients in 2010 USDA Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Food Patterns at all calorie levels
- Comparison of nutrient content of each 2010 USDA Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Food Pattern to nutritional goals for that pattern
- Nutrients in 2010 USDA Vegan Food Patterns at all calorie levels
- Comparison of nutrient content of each 2010 USDA Vegan Food Pattern to nutritional goals for that pattern
- Technical tables for the "Typical" rather than "Nutrient-dense" food choices analysis, completed for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Addenda to Britten et al., Impact of typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices in the US Department of Agriculture Food Patterns, JAND 112(10): 1560-1569, 2012
- Item clusters, percent of consumption, and representative foods, for "Typical" Food Patterns
- Nutrient profiles for food groups and subgroups in "Typical" Food Patterns
- Nutrients in "Typical" Food Patterns at all calorie levels
- Comparison of nutrient content of each "Typical" Food pattern to nutritional goals for that pattern
- Supplement to the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior on Development of the MyPyramid Food Guidance System