Dietary Guidelines for Good Health To prevent disease, the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating lots of
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy
products. The guidelines also emphasize: These guidelines from
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the
United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are
updated every 5 years to promote health and reduce risk for
major chronic diseases. Key recommendations for the general
public include the following:1 - Enjoy your food, but eat less.
- Avoid oversized portions. - Prevent and/or reduce overweight
and obesity through healthy eating and physical activity. -
Control your total calorie intake to manage your weight. For
people who are overweight or obese, this means eating fewer
calories from foods and drinks. - Increase your physical
activity, and reduce the time you are not moving. - Eat enough
calories, but not too many, during each stage of life—childhood,
adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breast-f