Consumer Health Minute: New Dietary Guidelines

Posted by Carolyn Martin on January 6th, 2021 Posted in: Health Literacy
Tags: dietary guidelines, diets, nutrition

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Many of your patrons and those you serve, follow the annual tradition of making New Year’s resolutions that may include diets, exercise or just leading a healthier life.

“Make Every Bite Count with the Dietary Guidelines!” is the newly released 2020-2025 edition of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Dietary Guidelines. Every five years these guidelines are provided to the public and health professionals with the most current science based evidence to help in the promotion of good health and reduce the risk of disease.

The Guidelines include four key recommendations to help support healthy eating throughout our life. These key recommendations are listed below.

1. Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.
2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
3. Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
4. Limit food and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.

You can provide your community with scientifically based information about healthy eating with brochures and informative downloadable graphics on the dietary guidelines website as well as links to MyPlate.gov for additional tools and tips for a healthier diet.