The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines), 2020 - 2025 provides advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to update and release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every 5 years. It is developed and written for a professional audience, including policymakers, health care providers, nutrition educators, and federal nutrition program operators.
The current guidelines can be viewed or downloaded at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
It provides a customizable framework for healthy eating that can be tailored and adapted to meet personal cultural, and traditional preferences. Those who work in federal agencies, public health, health care, education, and business all rely on the Dietary Guidelines when providing information on diet and health to the general public.
The current edition focuses on dietary pattern recommendations using a lifespan approach for all age groups. This includes:
ODPHP provides a toolkit for health professionals, including consumer-friendly handouts. Materials take a life stage approach and reflect the science-based nutrition guidance in the current edition of the Dietary Guidelines. Health professionals can share these handouts with patients, clients, and community partners to encourage healthy eating across the lifespan. Additional resources for professionals can be found on DietaryGuidelines.gov in English and Spanish.
To learn more about the Dietary Guidelines development, who is involved, and the history, go to DietaryGuidelines.gov.
Note: Work on the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines, 2025-2030 is currently under way.