Using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

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E ating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. There are many foods and many ways to build a healthy diet and lifestyle…so there is lots of room for choice. Enjoy the food you and your family eat and take action for good health. By following these Guidelines, you can promote your health and reduce your risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis. These diseases are leading causes of death and disability among Americans. The ABC’s of nutrition for your health and that of your family are: A Aim for fitness. B Build a healthy base. C Choose sensibly. Aim for fitness s Aim for a healthy weight. s Be physically active each day. Build a healthy base n Let the Pyramid guide your food choices. n Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. n Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. n Keep food safe to eat. Choose sensibly l Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat. l Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars. l Choose and prepare foods with less salt. l If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Aim, Build, and Choose — for good health Aim for fitness s Aim for a healthy weight—balance the calories you eat with physical activity. s Get moving. Do 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most days or every day. Make physical activity part of your daily routine. s Choose foods and amounts of food according to Chart 1. Eating sensible portion sizes (see below) is one key to a healthy weight. s Set a good example for children. Eat healthy meals and enjoy regular physical activities together. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. CHOOSE SENSIBLE PORTION SIZES • If you’re eating out, order small portions, share an entree with a friend, or take part of the food home (if you can chill it right away). • Check product labels to see how much food is considered to be a serving. Many items sold as single portions actually provide 2 servings or more—such as a 20-ounce soft drink, a 12- ounce steak, a 3-ounce bag of chips, or a large bagel. • Be especially careful to limit portion size of foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes, other sweets, French fries, and fats, oils, and spreads. Build a healthy base Use the Food Guide Pyramid (Figure 1) to help make healthy food choices that you can enjoy. For children 2 to 6 years old, see the Pyramid for Young Children (Figure 2). Chart 1 gives a quick guide to Pyramid food groups and servings. n Build your eating pattern on a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables. n Include several servings of whole grain foods daily —such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and whole grain corn. n Enjoy five a day—eat at least 2 servings of fruit and at least 3 servings of vegetables each day. Choose dark-green leafy vegetables, orange fruits and vegetables, and cooked dry peas and beans often. n Also choose foods from the milk and the meat and beans groups each day. Make low-fat choices most often. n It’s fine to enjoy fats and sweets occasionally. KEEP FOOD SAFE TO EAT • Wash hands and surfaces often. • Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing. • Cook foods to a safe temperature. • Refrigerate perishable foods promptly. • Check and follow the label. • When in doubt, throw it out. Choose sensibly l Limit your use of solid fats, such as butter and hard margarines. Use vegetable oils as a substitute. l Choose fat-free or low-fat types of milk products, and lean meats and poultry (see Chart 2). Eat cooked dry beans and peas and fish more often. l Use the Nutrition Facts Label to help choose foods lower in total fat—especially saturated fat—as well as in cholesterol and sodium. l Limit your intake of beverages and foods that are high in added sugars. Don’t let soft drinks or sweets crowd out other foods you need, such as milk products or other calcium sources. l To keep your sodium intake moderate, choose and prepare foods with less salt or salty flavorings. l If you are an adult and choose to drink alcoholic beverages, do so sensibly—limit intake to one drink a day for women or two a day for men. WHAT IS YOUR LIMIT ON FAT? Total Calories Saturated Fat Total Fat per Day in Grams* in Grams* 1,600 18 or less 53 2,000** 20 or less 65 2,200 24 or less 73 2,500** 25 or less 80 2,800 31 or less 93 *These limits are less than 10% of calories for saturated fat, and 30% of calories for total fat. **Percent Daily Values on Nutrition Facts Labels are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Values for 2,000 and 2,500 calories are rounded to the nearest 5 grams to be consistent with the Nutrition Facts Label. COMPARE THE SATURATED FAT IN FOODS Food Category Saturated Fat Content in Grams Cheese—1 oz. Regular Cheddar cheese 6.0 Low-fat Cheddar cheese* 1.2 Ground Beef—3 oz. cooked Regular ground beef 7.2 Extra lean ground beef* 5.3 Milk—1 cup Whole milk 5.1 Low-fat (1%) milk* 1.6 Breads—1 medium Croissant 6.6 Bagel* 0.1 Frozen Desserts—1/2 cup Regular ice cream 4.5 Frozen yogurt* 2.5 Table spreads—1 tsp. Butter 2.4 Soft margarine* 0.7 NOTE: The food categories listed are among the major food sources of saturated fat for U.S. adults and children. *Choice that is lower in saturated fat. Chart 2