The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
formulated the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1995,
which were most recently revised in 2000. Many organiza
tions,
such as the American
Dietetic Association,
endorse
these
guidelines as a healthful way to eat and a proactive ap
proach
to chronic disease prevention.
We’ve summarized the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 below. They, too, are quite compatible with the tradi tional Mediterranean diet:
•�Aim for fitness, for a healthy weight, and for moderate physical activity of at least thirty minutes on most days.
•�Build a healthy base by making smart food choices, such as a variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegeta bles each day, aiming for variety while attempting to avoid foodborne illness.
•�Make sensible food choices by eating foods low in saturated fat and moderate in total fat, choosing beverages and foods with low sugar content, choos ing and preparing foods with less salt, and drinking alcohol in moderation.
In 1992, the USDA also formulated the Food Guide Pyramid, which has been widely distributed and printed on the packaging of many ready-to-eat foods, such as cereal boxes and bread bags. The pyramid consists of nutritional advice and replaces the four food groups the government had previ ously espoused. In conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA developed its Food Guide Pyramid to be a visual representation of how much of what types of foods should be eaten, on average, each day. Thepyramid shape was chosen because it clearly depicts the foods that should be eaten in greatest quantity each day at the widest part of the pyramid, working up to foods that should be eaten only sparingly at the apex.
The pyramid has met with praise as well as criticism, and is currently under review. Any changes to the current pyra mid will most likely correspond directly with the Mediterranean model of eating. In recent years, one of the biggest critics of the current USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid has been the Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust.
We’ve summarized the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 below. They, too, are quite compatible with the tradi tional Mediterranean diet:
•�Aim for fitness, for a healthy weight, and for moderate physical activity of at least thirty minutes on most days.
•�Build a healthy base by making smart food choices, such as a variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegeta bles each day, aiming for variety while attempting to avoid foodborne illness.
•�Make sensible food choices by eating foods low in saturated fat and moderate in total fat, choosing beverages and foods with low sugar content, choos ing and preparing foods with less salt, and drinking alcohol in moderation.
In 1992, the USDA also formulated the Food Guide Pyramid, which has been widely distributed and printed on the packaging of many ready-to-eat foods, such as cereal boxes and bread bags. The pyramid consists of nutritional advice and replaces the four food groups the government had previ ously espoused. In conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA developed its Food Guide Pyramid to be a visual representation of how much of what types of foods should be eaten, on average, each day. Thepyramid shape was chosen because it clearly depicts the foods that should be eaten in greatest quantity each day at the widest part of the pyramid, working up to foods that should be eaten only sparingly at the apex.
The pyramid has met with praise as well as criticism, and is currently under review. Any changes to the current pyra mid will most likely correspond directly with the Mediterranean model of eating. In recent years, one of the biggest critics of the current USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid has been the Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust.
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