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Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity

NUTRITION

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines are designed to help people choose foods that meet nutrition requirements, promote health, and support active lifestyles.

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS


Aim for fitness

  • Aim for a healthy weight.

  • Be physically active each day.

Build a healthy base

  • Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.

  • Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.

  • Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

  • Keep food safe to eat.

Choose sensibly

  • Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.

  • Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.

  • Choose and prepare foods with less salt.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.1

Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid translates the Dietary Guidelines into food groups, listing the number of recommended daily servings from each group.

food guide pyramid2

Note: A range of servings is given for each food group. The smaller number indicates the recommended servings for people who consume about 1,600 calories a day; the larger number indicates servings for people who consume about 2,800 calories a day.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.1

Many children and adolescents from diverse cultures learn about nutrition in school by studying the Food Guide Pyramid. It is important to encourage children, adolescents, and families to maintain the healthy eating behaviors inherent in their cultures. Health professionals can make the Food Guide Pyramid relevant to different cultural groups by helping people place their traditional foods in the appropriate place in the pyramid. If traditional foods are at the top of the pyramid (and thus should be eaten sparingly), the frequency or amount of consumption may need to be changed, but few foods need to be eliminated completely.3

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