Nutrition

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New U.S. Dietary Guidelines – Become a Healthier YOU:
Eat Right and Exercise More

Americans need to eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and get more exercise according to the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 released on January 12.

The science-based 2005 Guidelines is the sixth in a series of recommendations issued by the federal government to help keep Americans healthy and prevent disease.  They are updated every five years. The latest report includes 41 key recommendations, 23 for the general public and 18 for special populations, such as children, older adults, and pregnant women.

Key recommendations for the general public:

Nutrition

• Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages from the basic food groups.
• For a 2,000-calorie diet, consume two cups of fruit and 2-1/2 cups of vegetables each day. Adjust the amounts higher or lower depending on your individual calorie needs.
• Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain products every day, with the rest of the recommended grains coming from enriched or whole-grain products. 
• Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products. If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.
• Consume less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fats and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol.  Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
• Keep your total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of your calories.  Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, such as found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
• Eat lean, low-fat, or fat free meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products.
• Consume less than 2,300 mg—about 1 teaspoon of salt—of sodium per day.  Choose and prepare foods with little salt.
• Consume potassium-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often.
• Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars.
• Limit alcoholic beverages to one drink per day if you are a woman, or two drinks per day if you are a man.  Some individuals, including pregnant women, should not drink alcohol at all.

Weight Management

• To maintain a healthy body weight, balance your calories taken in with calories expended.
• To prevent a gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in your food and beverage calories and increase your physical activity.  Engage in approximately 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity most days of the week while not eating more calories than you need.
• To maintain weight loss in adulthood, engage in at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not eating more calories than you need.

Physical Activity

• To reduce your risk of chronic disease in adulthood, engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.  For greater health benefits, engage in more vigorous physical activity for longer periods of time.
• Achieve physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.