Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Dietary Guidelines is a key resource for health professionals and policymakers to help Americans enjoy a healthy eating pattern, promote health, and prevent chronic disease. It is used to inform the development of Federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs and serves as the evidence-based foundation for nutrition education materials that are developed by the Federal government for the public. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 was released on December 29, 2020, and is the 9th edition. These Guidelines will remain the current edition until the Dietary Guidelines, 2025-2030 is released.
Healthy Eating Index
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a measure of diet quality that assesses conformance to federal dietary guidance. USDA’s primary use of the HEI is to monitor the diet quality of the US population and the low-income subpopulation. The HEI is also used to examine relationships between diet and health-related outcomes and between diet cost and diet quality, to determine the effectiveness of nutrition intervention programs, and to assess the quality of food assistance packages, menus, and the US food supply. The HEI is a scoring metric that can be applied to any defined set of foods, such as previously-collected dietary data, a defined menu, or a market basket.
USDA Food Patterns
The USDA Food Patterns were developed to help individuals carry out Dietary Guidelines recommendations. They identify daily amounts of foods, in nutrient-dense forms, to eat from five major food groups and their subgroups. The patterns also include an allowance for oils and limits on the maximum number of calories that should be consumed from saturated fats and added sugars (empty calories). Recommended amounts and limits in the USDA Food Patterns at 12 calorie levels, ranging from 1,000 calories to 3,200 calories, are available.
USDA Food Plans
A healthy diet can help individuals achieve and maintain good health and reduce their risk of chronic disease throughout all stages of life. Countless foods and beverages are available for purchase, ranging in nutrient density and price. As such, a healthy diet can be achieved at many cost levels, including on a limited budget. USDA produces four Food Plans at successively higher cost levels: the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans. The Thrifty Food Plan outlines nutrient-dense foods and beverages, their amounts, and associated costs that can be purchased on a limited budget to support a healthy diet through nutritious meals and snacks at home. Federal law specifies that the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in June serves as the basis for setting maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit allotments in the following federal fiscal year beginning each October 1 and that the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in November serves as the basis for updating Summer EBT benefit allotments in the following calendar year.
USDA Food Plans: Monthly Cost of Food
USDA produces four Food Plans at successively higher cost levels: the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, illustrating how a healthy diet can be achieved at various costs. USDA adjusts the cost of the Food Plans for inflation each month using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
Expenditures on Children by Families
Expenditures on Children by Families provides estimates of the cost of raising children from birth through age 17 for major budgetary components. The most recent version of the report was published in 2017 and estimates the cost of raising children born in 2015. Currently, USDA is evaluating the methods used to inform this report to ensure they reflect best practices in the field.
Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review
Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR), formerly the Nutrition Evidence Library (NEL), is a team of scientists from USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) who specialize in conducting food- and nutrition-related systematic reviews. NESR’s work supports CNPP’s mission to improve the health of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.
Nutrient Content of the US Food Supply
The Nutrient Content of the US Food Supply is a historical data series, beginning in 1909, on the amounts of nutrients per capita per day in food available for consumption.