The Healthy Dietary Patterns Highlighted in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

We recently summarized the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which were released in December 2020. In case you missed that article, here is a refresher: The DGA provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce the risk for chronic disease and meet daily nutrient needs. The DGA are the foundation of federal food, nutrition and health policies and programs, and they have been revised every five years since 1980. The 2020–2025 DGA provide four overarching guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life, stressing that many individuals will need to make shifts in their food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy eating pattern: These guidelines are not intended to be overly prescriptive; rather, they are meant to be customized based on an individual’s personal preferences and needs. This article focuses on the first guideline—following a healthy eating pattern at every stage of life—and explores the three recommended eating patterns that are highlighted in the DGA. The Importance of Healthy Dietary Patterns A hallmark of the DGA is the importance placed on healthy dietary patterns as a whole—rather than on individual nutrients or foods in isolation. But what is a dietary pattern? A dietary pattern is the combination of foods and beverages consumed over the course of any given day, week, or year. As a result, dietary patterns can be more closely associated with overall health status and disease risk than consumption of individual foods or nutrients. According to the DGA, a healthy dietary pattern consists of nutrient-dense forms of foods and beverages across all food groups, in recommended amounts, and within calorie limits. As with the previous version, the 2020–2025 DGA provide examples of three dietary patterns that align with DGA recommendations; they are defined as Healthy U.S.-Style, Healthy Vegetarian […]

article

What Is a Registered Dietitian? An Interview with Khursheed Navder, PhD, RDN

Most of us would be hard-pressed to go a day without thinking or talking about food and nutrition. After all, everyone needs to eat. But what about those who want to make nutrition their career? In honor of National Nutrition Month, we’re exploring the world of registered dietitians (RDs): what it takes to become an RD, what sets them apart from other similar-sounding specialties, and how the field of nutrition is changing and adapting to new healthcare challenges. For this two-part series, we interviewed Dr. Khursheed Navder, a professor and director of the nutrition program at Hunter College in New York City, where she oversees the undergraduate, graduate and dietetic internship programs. She created the master’s of science in nutrition curriculum at Hunter and has worked to provide unique pathways for inner-city students to pursue a full-time nutrition education. She has been a recipient of the Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and she has held several elected positions within the Academy and the Commission on Dietetic Registration. What first made you interested in nutrition as a career path? KN: I was always fascinated by the basic sciences, by how chemistry, biology, physiology, biochemistry were all so woven into the fabric of nutrition courses. I came from India to pursue my PhD, and back then, in the mid-80s, I had absolutely no intention of working toward the RD credential since I felt I was going to be working in academia and research. Boy, am I glad my major professor at Kansas State University pushed me to pursue this credential, because this has opened many doors for me! As we all know, there is a tremendous shortage of PhD-RDs, and having had this credential has allowed me to move up the administrative ladder in academia. In […]

insights

A Simple Guide to Plant-Based Eating

There’s no doubt that following a special eating pattern has become increasingly en-vogue in recent years—and the rising popularity of specific diets continues to be backed up by data from IFIC’s annual Food and Health Survey. Among the top growing dietary trends is plant-based eating, and it gets a lot of hype for good reason—scientific research shows that plant-based diets can have many benefits. But here’s the rub: What individuals perceive as “plant-based eating” is highly variable, and the term is not well-defined. Case in point? Some people assume the term “plant-based” is another way to describe vegetarian or vegan eating. In reality, a broad spectrum of plant-based eating exists, and there’s no one way to do it. If you’re looking for tips increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat—and maybe even foray into your own version of plant-based eating—use the below guide to understand what plant-based can mean, what its benefits are, and how you can implement this eating style. Defining “Plant-Based” Plant-based diets have existed since ancient times, but the term “plant-based” is just around 20 years old, according to a 2022 review that defines plant-based foods as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices, and whole grains. Unlike vegan eating, a plant-based or, alternatively, plant-focused, diet does not have to exclude animal foods like red meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy. Rather, a plant-based eater may still enjoy animal foods while deliberately building an overall eating pattern that is rich in or primarily made of plants, but not consisting only of plants. The Benefits of a Plant-based Diet There’s no doubt that many plant-based foods are full of nutrition and health benefits. Just the act of making healthy, plant-based choices can confer better nutrition in the way of more vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. But plant-based […]

article

Six Critical Nutrients for Healthy Vegan Eating

The popularity of plant-based eating is on the rise, and many people are discovering the power of produce. In our 2022 Food and Health Survey, 12% of our survey participants said they followed a plant-based diet within the past year. Without a doubt, eating more plant-based foods can improve your health, especially if you do not already eat enough fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, or whole grains. In addition to the numerous nutritional benefits of eating more plant-based foods like these, according to the National Cancer Institute, people who eat plant-rich diets have a lower risk of developing many types of cancers and other health conditions. Because of its potential health benefits, some people follow a vegetarian diet, while others take plant-based eating a step further and follow a vegan diet—a choice that is often driven by ethical beliefs and environmental concerns as well as a desire for better health. But while following a vegan diet can benefit your health, without special planning, it can also mean missing out on some crucial nutrients traditionally provided by animal foods. The need for dietary planning, however, is not limited to vegan diets—omnivorous diets also require attention to get the nutrients we need. If you follow a vegan diet or are considering giving it a try, “lettuce” help you level up your eating routine to ensure you’re getting enough of the following six nutrients. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is vital for proper metabolism and DNA and protein synthesis, all of which support our brain, heart, muscle, and nerve health. Our bodies do not make vitamin B12, so we must get it from foods and/or dietary supplements. Vegetarian and vegan diets must pay special attention to vitamin B12 because it is only found naturally in animal foods. Without adequate amounts of this nutrient, people […]

article

What is the Flexitarian Diet?

Download the Flexitarian Diet Fact Sheet Here Highlights The Basics Most Americans do not consume the recommended amounts of dairy, fruits, legumes (e.g., chickpeas, lentils and beans, including soy), seafood, vegetables or whole grains.1,2,3 While a complete diet overhaul may seem daunting, one style of eating—the “flexitarian diet”—attempts to make it easier to shift dietary choices by focusing more on what can be added to the diet rather than what should be taken away. The flexitarian diet is a play on two words: flexible and vegetarian. While no single definition has been adopted, the flexitarian diet can be generally defined as a semi-vegetarian, plant-forward diet that incorporates dairy and eggs and allows room for meat from time to time. The emphasis on plant foods is thought to contribute to the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet without requiring compliance to the dietary rules of 100%-vegetarian or vegan diets. There are no set calorie or macronutrient goals in a flexitarian diet. Instead, the goal is to increase the consumption of plant or plant-based foods over time, keeping in mind that meat is not off-limits but rather that it is eaten less frequently and/or in smaller portions. Calories in the flexitarian diet mostly come from nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, legumes, whole grains and vegetables. When it comes to protein, plant-based foods (e.g., soy foods, legumes, nuts and seeds) are the primary source. Protein also comes from eggs and dairy, with lesser amounts coming from meat, especially red and processed meats. Due to the emphasis on nutrient-dense foods, the flexitarian diet encourages limiting one’s intake of saturated fat, added sugars and sodium. The Flexitarian Diet and Your Health A flexitarian diet can have a positive impact on health,4,5 while being less strict than a 100%-vegetarian or vegan diet. The plant-forward philosophy […]

article

Nutrition 101 Video Series: The Lowdown on Low-Calorie Sweeteners

This is the fourth installment of our video series in partnership with Osmosis, a group that focuses on health science education, highlighting the basics of several nutrition topics. The Nutrition 101 series also includes videos on dietary fats, carbohydrates, sugars and hydration. Most people love sweet foods. Originally, sweetness was nature’s way of identifying energy-dense foods that were safe to eat. This was particularly important throughout the long history of our species when food was scarce. But times have changed and nowadays, sweetness is mostly associated with the sugars added to foods and drinks. Unfortunately, many people consume too many calories from these sorts of added sugars. Over time, consuming more calories than the body needs can contribute to the onset of chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease. Low-calorie sweeteners can satisfy our taste buds while reducing the calories we eat from sugar. The good news is that randomized controlled trials have shown that replacing full-calorie foods and beverages with low-calorie sweetened versions can lead to modest weight loss, as long as the individual doesn’t overindulge on additional calories from other sources say, by ordering dessert because they had a diet soda with dinner. Low-calorie sweeteners don’t raise blood glucose or insulin levels, so they can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and reduce the amount of total sugars they consume each day. Some low- and no-calorie sweeteners, like stevia and monk fruit extracts, come from plants. Others, like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium are man-made. It’s important to note that all of them are sweeter than sugar, which means that only tiny amounts are needed to equal the sweetness of sugar. As a result, low-calorie sweeteners are often blended with carbohydrates like dextrose and maltodextrin or the sugar alcohol erythritol when […]

insights

GMOs and Your Next Shopping Trip: An FAQ to Keep Handy

Food with genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMO foods, have been around for decades. However, while they have been proven to be just as safe as conventionally grown foods, and in some cases are more nutritious, there remains some unknown facts about GMO foods and several myths relating to them. IFIC has discussed how GMOs help farmer productivity and aid in environmental sustainability, but more questions have come to consumer’s minds when it comes to GMOs and grocery hauls. Here is a list of FAQ’s that may come in handy for your next shopping trip: Are GMOs Labeled in Stores? Currently, you may find some food products with labels that inform shoppers of foods containing bioengineered ingredients–these would include GMOs. This type of notice is not meant to indicate safety, lack in quality or nutritional value—it is simply there to keep consumers informed about what is in our food. In 2018, the US Department of Agriculture announced plans to finalize the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard’s List of Bioengineered (BE) Foods. This list has since been published in the Federal Register and the regulation became effective December 29, 2023. Mandatory compliance for all food companies will begin on July 21, 2025. The regulation requires companies to place language or a symbol on all products that contain bioengineered ingredients. However, many companies already voluntarily place this label language on their products. Keep in mind that this regulatory action to disclose GMO information is not meant to signal a safety or quality concern. What Does a Non-GMO Label Mean? Now that you know that many foods carry bioengineered food language on its packaging signaling GMO ingredients, you may ask yourself ’What does a “Non-GMO” label really mean?’ These labels generally indicate that GMO biotechnology was not used to produce a food product. There […]

insights

What Is Iron?

Highlights The Basics Iron is a mineral that is necessary for our bodies’ growth and development. In particular, our bodies use iron to create certain hormones and to make hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from our lungs to the body’s tissues, and myoglobin is a protein that provides oxygen to our muscles. Iron is naturally found in a variety of foods, such as lean meat, seafood, lentils, and spinach. Iron can also be added to food products through the process of fortification and additionally is available as a dietary supplement. The iron in our food has two main forms—heme iron and nonheme iron. Plant-based and iron-fortified foods only contain nonheme iron, whereas animal-derived foods like meat, seafood, and poultry contain both heme and nonheme iron. Iron and Health Inadequate intake of iron does not cause obvious symptoms in the short-term because our bodies use stored iron from our muscles, liver, spleen, and bone marrow. However, when the levels of iron stored in the body become low, this can progress to iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). IDA is characterized by low hemoglobin concentrations, a decreased proportion of red blood cells in blood by volume, and a lower average red blood cell size. Symptoms of IDA include gastrointestinal upset, weakness, and problems with concentration and memory, and people with IDA are less able to fight off infections, to work and exercise efficiently, and to control their body temperature well. The remainder of this section will specifically focus on the role of iron and IDA in pregnant women, infants, and toddlers, as well as people with anemia of chronic disease. Recommended Intakes The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have set dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for iron. These recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) differ by age, gender, […]

article