The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The 6th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released on January 12, 2005. Like previous editions, it is designed to help improve the diets and health of Americans. The most significant change in this new edition is its scope and purpose. The 2005 Guidelines provide a much more specific plan of action and rather than targeting the general public as previous editions have done, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines are directed to policy makers, nutrition educators, nutritionists, and health care providers. These groups can then use this information to educate the public. The Guidelines also include a consumer brochure called Finding Your Way to a Healthier You.

The sections below correspond to the nine topics of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and summarize the 41 key recommendations included in the full report. Twenty-three of these apply to all healthy Americans over 2 years of age and are shown in Table 1 (page 6). The remaining 18 recommendations target specific population groups. Table 2 (page 9) below provides a comparison of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines with the messages of the Guidelines as released in 2000. Table 3 (page 10) gives you a quick glance at foods and activities that would satisfy the 2005 recommendations for a person who requires 2000 calories a day. The full report and consumer brochure can be accessed at http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/.

Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs

Americans today are eating more food but getting fewer nutrients. As a result many of us weigh too much but are still at risk for nutrient deficiencies. The first topic of the 2005 Guidelines recommends choosing a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Two eating plans, the USDA Food Guide and the DASH Diet Plan, are suggested to help Americans meet this goal. These direct us to improve our nutrient intake by eating more dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk and milk products while reducing our intake of refined grains, total fats (especially cholesterol and saturated and trans fat), added sugars, and calories. This topic also makes specific recommendations regarding vitamin B12 consumption in people over 50 years of age, iron and folic acid intake in women of childbearing age, and dietary vitamin D intake in older adults, those with dark skin, and those with little sun exposure.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines also introduces the concept of a discretionary calorie allowance. This is the calories that are left over after you have met all of your serving recommendations with nutrient dense choices from each food group. These calories can be consumed without gaining weight and can come from added sugars, alcohol, and fat found in choices from the milk and meat group. If you imagine your energy intake as a calorie budget, discretionary calories are the extra calories you can spend on less nutrient-dense foods. For a 2000-calorie diet the discretionary calorie allowance is 267 calories. You can spend these “splurge” calories on a candy bar, or a 20-oz soda, or some ice cream – but most of us don’t have enough discretionary calories to eat all these foods in the same day.

Weight Management

More Americans than ever before are overweight or obese. To address this, the 2005 Guidelines are more specific than previous editions on weight management. The key recommendations tell us to make small changes in calorie intake and activity level to prevent weight gain because preventing weight gain is easier than losing weight. They tell those who are overweight or gaining weight to eat less. A reduction of 50 to 100 calories a day will prevent weight gain; to lose weight one may need to cut out 500 calories a day. These calories can be cut by paying attention to portion sizes and reducing intake of added sugars, fats, and alcohol, which provide calories but few essential nutrients. The guidelines emphasize that calories, not the proportion of carbohydrate, fat, or protein in the diet, are the important factor in weight management. Balancing calories consumed, in both food and beverages, with calories expended in activity is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Recommendations for children involve reducing weight gain while allowing sufficient energy and nutrients for adequate growth.

Physical Activity

Too many Americans are not moving enough. To address this the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, like previous editions, tell us to exercise more. To reduce the risk of chronic disease 30 minutes of moderate activity is recommended, but the new Guidelines go further. We are advised that greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in more vigorous intensity activity or activity of longer duration. Sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week is recommended to help manage body weight and prevent weight gain; for those who have lost weight and want to keep it off, 60 to 90 minutes of moderate intensity activity is recommended. Ideally these exercise activities should include cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance. Sixty minutes of activity is also recommended for children and 30 minutes or more for healthy pregnant women. Lactating women are reminded that exercise does not interfere with milk production and activity is encouraged in older adults to reduce some of the functional decline associated with aging.

Food Groups to Encourage

This topic addresses the things Americans need to eat more of: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products. This message is not new, but the new guidelines have raised the bar – proposing amounts that are even higher than recommended in the past. The number of fruit and vegetable servings for someone eating 2000 calories has been increased to 9-a-day. This translates into including 2 cups of fruit a day (4 servings) and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day (5 servings). To ensure variety, consuming dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, and starchy and other vegetables is emphasized. The recommended number of servings of milk has been increased from 2 to 3 servings per day to 3 servings per day of fat free or low-fat milk or milk products. Specific recommendations are also made regarding whole grains. We are now advised to choose 3 or more servings of whole grains a day.

Fats

What is healthy when it comes to fat? This has been a confusing issue for Americans. For years we were led to believe that if something was low in fat, it was automatically a healthy choice. Now we are being told that the type of fat is as important, if not more important, than the amount. The Guidelines recommend that total fat intake provide 20 to 35% of calories for adults (a range consistent with the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations). Most of this should come from mono- and polyunsaturated fats - plant and fish oils are emphasized because of their positive effects on heart health. Saturated fat intake should be less then 10% of calories and cholesterol less than 300 mg per day. This edition of the Guidelines adds a new recommendation to keep trans fat intake as low as possible.

Carbohydrates

Low-carb diets have given carbohydrates a bad name, but carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. The Guidelines recommend that we get 45 to 65% of our calories from carbohydrates (the same as is stated in DRIs). But, like fats, the types of carbohydrates chosen affect the healthfulness of the diet. The Guidelines tell us to eat more whole grains and less added sugar. The whole grains, along with fruits and vegetables, are rich in fiber, micronutrients, and phytochemicals. The added sugars contribute few nutrients. To reduce added sugars it is recommended that we choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugar. One key recommendation focuses on reducing dental caries by practicing good dental hygiene and consuming sugar and starch-containing foods and beverages less frequently.

Sodium and Potassium

In general, the more sodium you consume, the higher your blood pressure will be. Blood pressure can be reduced by eating less salt, increasing potassium intake, losing weight, exercising more, and eating an overall healthy diet. The maximum amount of sodium recommended for the general population has been decreased slightly from 2400 mg to 2300 mg, which is the amount recommended by the DRIs. Potassium should be increased to 4700 mg per day (the DRI value). Individuals with hypertension, blacks, and middle aged and older adults are told to limit sodium intake to 1500 mg and to be sure to consume the recommended amount of potassium.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol consumption can be beneficial or harmful depending on the amount that is consumed and who is consuming it. As with the 2000 Dietary Guidelines, the 2005 edition recommends an intake of one or two drinks per day – the amount that is associated with lowest all cause mortality as well as lowest coronary heart disease mortality. As in the past alcohol consumption is not recommended for those who cannot restrict their intake, women of child bearing age who may become pregnant, pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescents, those taking medications that interact with alcohol, those with specific medical conditions, and those engaged in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination.

Food Safety

Safe food is a part of healthful eating. The most important food safety problem is microbial food-borne illness. As in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines, this 2005 edition encourages Americans to clean hands, food contact surfaces, fruits, and vegetables; to separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods; to cook foods to a safe temperature; and to refrigerate perishable foods. It also tells us to avoid unpasteurized milk or products made with unpasteurized milk, raw eggs, raw or undercooked meat or poultry, unpasteurized juices, and raw sprouts.

Table 1: Key Recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
ADEQUATE NUTRIENTS WITHIN CALORIE NEEDS

• Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.

• Meet recommended intakes within energy needs by adopting a balanced eating pattern, such as the USDA Food Guide or the DASH Eating Plan.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

• Maintain body weight in a healthy range, balance calories consumed from foods and beverages with calories expended.

• Prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Engage in regular physical activity (at least 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week) and reduce sedentary activities.

• Include cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.

FOOD GROUPS TO ENCOURAGE

• Consume a sufficient amount of fruits & vegetables while staying within energy needs. Two cups fruit and 21/2 cups vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.

• Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. In particular, select from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables) several times a week.

• Consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products per day, with the rest of the recommended grains coming from enriched or whole-grain products. In general, at least half the grains should come from whole grains.

• Consume 3 cups per day of nonfat or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.

FATS

• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.

• Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

• When selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.

• Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated and/or trans fatty acids, and choose products low in such fats and oils.

CARBOHYDRATES

• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often.

• Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners, such as amounts suggested by the USDA Food Guide and the DASH Eating Plan.

• Reduce dental caries through good oral hygiene and consuming sugar- and starch-containing foods and beverages less frequently.

SODIUM AND POTASSIUM

• Consume less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 tsp of salt) of sodium per day.

• Choose and prepare foods with little salt and consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

• Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so in moderation – defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

• Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed by some individuals, including those who cannot restrict their alcohol intake, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescents, individuals taking medications that can interact with alcohol, and those with specific medical conditions.

• Alcoholic beverages should be avoided by individuals engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination.

FOOD SAFETY