Feature Articles Food, Fitness and Eating
Well
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans:
What’s New?
By Ellen Schuster, Associate State Nutrition
Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released January
12, 2005. Below is a “snapshot” of the current Dietary
Guidelines.* For more information go to
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
Overall
There are nine areas that are addressed, such as physical
activity, fat and carbohydrates. There are 23 key
recommendations for the general population, as well as
guidelines for specific groups, such as women of childbearing
age. Recommended amounts of food to eat in one day are provided
for 12 different calorie levels based on energy needs.
Recommendations below are for the 2,000 calorie reference level.
Grains
3 or more servings of whole grains each day – the first
time for a specific number of servings of whole grains
Fruits/vegetables
9 servings (or four and a half cups) per day and suggests
at least three cups per week of legumes (the first time for a
specific amount of legumes).
Milk
3 cups each day (or milk equivalents) for all adults
Meat
5.5 ounces – a slight decrease.
Fats
Limit trans fatty acids — the first time trans fatty acids are
mentioned.
Reading the Nutrition Facts label
The guidelines reinforce important nutrients to get enough of:
potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. They also
focus on calories/per serving to avoid high calorie foods. For
example: a food with over 400 calories/serving would be a high
calorie food.
Physical activity
There are more specific guidelines to maintain a healthy weight
after weight loss:
- up to 60 minutes most, preferably all, days to avoid
weight gain
60 to 90 minutes daily to sustain weight loss
No changes
Some messages have not changed, such as alcoholic beverages and
food safety. The guidelines continue to recommend at least 30
minutes/day of physical activity for good health.
*References: Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 and Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2005 at
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines; Nutrition and
Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000 at
http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/dietary_guidelines.html
Ellen Schuster, Associate State Nutrition Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu. Reviewed by Barbara Willenberg, Former Associate State Nutrition Specialist, and Dr. Stephen Ball, State Fitness Specialist, ballsd@missouri.edu, University of Missouri Extension.
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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