Guidelines
Dietary Guidelines for Americans serve as a foundation for creating a healthy eating pattern that promotes long-term health and overall well-being. MyPlate is a food guide that translates these guidelines into several key messages that you can use to find your own healthy eating style:
Enjoy a variety of foods and beverages within an appropriate calorie level.
A healthy eating pattern includes nutrient-dense foods and beverages across 5 food groups: fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein.
- Enjoy fruit, especially whole fruit.
- Eat a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, and legumes.
- Make at least half of your grains whole grain.
- Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy.
- Include a variety of protein foods, such as seafood, nuts and seeds, and legumes.
Limit your intake of saturated fats and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium.
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats? A chemical structure of fatty acids influences their properties in foods: saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature, come from animal products (e.g., meat, cheese) and more stable than unsaturated fats because their carbons are “saturated/filled” with hydrogens. On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature (e.g., olive oil), less stable than saturated fat and typically come from plant sources. There are several health benefits associated with a nutritious diet: