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Food Patterns and Dietary Guidelines

Author: Sophia
PDF Version

what's covered
In this lesson, you will learn about developing a meal plan using the USDA food patterns. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Table of Contents

1. The Dietary Guidelines

You learned the basics that are needed to plan a diet that meets the needs of a healthy human. A person also needs tools in addition to their knowledge. Food group plans are one of the tools that can be very helpful. Food group plans help you build a diet from clusters of foods that are similar in nutrient content. Each food group represents a set of nutrients that differs somewhat from the nutrients supplied by the other groups. Selecting foods from each of the groups makes planning an adequate and balanced diet easier. Healthy eating patterns can be flexible enough to accommodate an individual’s personal, cultural, and traditional preferences within a reasonable budget.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed multiple nutrition-related resources to help educate and improve the overall health of the general public. The Dietary Guidelines are developed to help all Americans. The Dietary Guidelines are based on scientific evidence on health-promoting diets in people who represent the general U.S. population, including those who are healthy, those at risk for diet-related diseases, and those living with these diseases. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are a set of guidelines that are updated every five years to guide policymakers, nutrition experts (like Registered Dietitian Nutritionists), and other health professionals to promote health and prevent disease.

DGA Infographic PDF

big idea
The focus of the current DGA is to “Make Every Bite Count”. There are 4 overarching Guidelines in the 2020-2025 edition:

  • Follow a healthy dietary pattern (the combination of foods and beverages that constitutes an individual’s complete dietary intake over time) at every life stage.
  • Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
  • Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
  • Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.
There are Key Recommendations supporting the 4 Guidelines, including quantitative recommendations on limits that are based on the body of science reviewed. The Guidelines recommend:

  • Limiting added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day for ages 2 and older and to avoid added sugars for infants and toddlers;
  • Limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of calories per day starting at age 2;
  • Limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300mg per day (or even less if younger than 14);
  • Limiting alcoholic beverages (if consumed) to 2 drinks or less a day for men and 1 drink or less a day for women.

Making choices rich in nutrients should be the first choice. There is very little leeway for extra calories from added sugars, saturated fats, and if consumed, alcohol. Most of the calories a person eats each day (~85%) are needed for foods rich in nutrients that help the person meet food group recommendations. Only a small amount of calories (~15%) are left over for added sugars, saturated fat, and, (if consumed) alcohol. It’s about the pattern of eating, not just healthy choices here and there.

reflect
Think about the last meal you ate. Were most of the foods rich in nutrients that help meet food group recommendations? If not, how do you think you could have changed that meal to make it more nutritious?

The Dietary Guidelines utilize combinations of foods and beverages that make up an individual’s whole diet over time, and not single foods or eating occasions in isolation. Research shows that the ongoing pattern of an individual’s eating habits has the greatest impact on their health. The Dietary Guidelines are meant to be adaptable to personal preferences, cultural foodways, and budgetary considerations. The Dietary Guidelines framework purposely provides recommendations by food groups and subgroups—not specific foods and beverages—to avoid being prescriptive. This framework approach ensures that people can “make it their own” by selecting healthy foods, beverages, meals, and snacks specific to their needs and preferences.

terms to know
Food Group Plan
A plan to help you build a diet from clusters of foods that are similar in nutrient content.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
A department responsible for developing and executing laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)
A set of guidelines that are updated every five years to guide policymakers, nutrition experts (like Registered Dietitian Nutritionists), and other health professionals to promote health and prevent disease.
Dietary Pattern
The combination of foods and beverages that constitutes an individual’s complete dietary intake over time. This may be a description of a customary way of eating or a description of a combination of foods recommended for consumption.

2. The Three USDA Food Patterns

Several examples of healthy dietary patterns that translate and integrate the recommendations in overall healthy ways to eat are provided. The Guidelines are supported by Key Recommendations that provide further guidance on healthy eating across the lifespan.

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 a limit on the maximum number of calories available for other uses, such as added sugars, solid fats, added refined starches, or alcohol. Three USDA Food Patterns have been developed to allow for flexibility in how Dietary Guidelines recommendations can be met: the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern, the Healthy Vegetarian Pattern, and the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Pattern.

key concept
The Three USDA Food Patterns are as follows:

Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern: This is based on the types of foods Americans typically consume. The main types of food in this eating pattern include a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, seafood, poultry, and meat, as well as eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products.

Healthy Vegetarian Pattern: This pattern contains no meat, poultry, or seafood, but does contain fat-free or low-fat dairy and eggs. Compared with the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern, it contains more soy products, eggs, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.

Healthy Mediterranean-Style Pattern: This one contains more fruits and seafood and less dairy than the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern.

try it
Select one of the three USDA Food Patterns to do more research on. Which food pattern do you think would be the best for your lifestyle?

3. Tools for Developing Dietary Patterns

All food groups have important nutrients, and you should make selections from each every day. The amounts from each food group needed daily to create a healthful diet differ based on a person’s energy (kcalorie) needs. And, like we will see in tutorial 1.2.2, energy needs are determined by a person’s age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level. As an example, an adult needing 2000 calories a day would select 2 cups of fruit; 2.5 cups of vegetables; 6 ounces of grain foods; 5.5 ounces of protein; and 3 cups of milk or milk products.

Recommended amounts and limits in the three USDA Food Patterns are set at 12 calorie levels, ranging from 1,000 calories to 3,200 calories. Patterns at 1,000, 1,200, and 1,400 calorie levels meet the nutritional needs of children ages 2 to 8 years. Patterns at 1,600 calories and above meet needs for adults and children ages 9 years and older. Individuals should follow a pattern that meets their estimated calorie needs, which can be found in the "Energy Levels Used for Assignment of Individuals to USDA Food Patterns" table.

USDA Food Patterns Summary Table Page 1

USDA Food Patterns Summary Table Page 2

Do you remember learning about the food groups in school? You may have been taught using the Food Wheel, Food Guide Pyramid or MyPyramid depending on your age. Kids today learn about the food groups from MyPlate.

Image of a plate that is divided into four sections. The section in the top left is red and it says fruits in the middle. The section on the bottom left is green and says vegetables in the middle. The section on the top right is orange and says grains in the middle. The section on the bottom right is purple and says protein in the middle. There is a circle on the outside of the plate, on the top right. The circle is blue and says dairy in the middle. There is a fork on the left side of the plate. The bottom of the image says MyPlate.gov.

MyPlate encourages small changes that are doable, affordable, and result in lasting eating routines that promote good health. RDNs play an important and direct role in helping their clients and patients understand how to “make every bite count” by choosing foods rich in nutrients. One way of helping people to make healthy choices is to help them understand how much to eat in order to make every bite count within their recommended calorie plan. MyPlate has an image gallery of cup and ounce equivalents.

There are four images placed side by side and above and below one another making a square. All of the images have inch rulers going down the left side and across the bottom. In the top left image it shows a serving of strawberries. The serving is 4 ½ inches wide. In the top right image there is a glass of orange juice. It is 2 ⅝ inches wide and 3 ⅞ inches tall. In the bottom left image there is a bowl of popcorn it is 6 ½ inches wide. In the bottom right image there is a bowl of cornflakes cereal and it is 6 inches wide.

These are great images, but sometimes more general images can help people decide their serving size and portions. For foods like cereal and pasta, it may be helpful to use measuring cups to measure out an exact serving for a couple of days until you get more practice at eyeballing the appropriate portion.

hint
Use your hand and other everyday objects to measure the recommended portion sizes of some common foods:
  • One serving of meat or poultry is the palm of your hand or a deck of cards
  • One 3-ounce (84 grams) serving of fish is a checkbook
  • One serving of ice cream is one-half cup (40 grams) or the size of a tennis ball
  • One serving of cheese is a pair of dice or a matchbox
  • One-half cup (80 grams) serving of cooked rice, pasta, or snacks such as chips or pretzels is a fist or a baseball
  • One serving of a pancake or waffle is a compact disc
  • Two tablespoons (36 grams) of peanut butter is a golf ball

An image that shows how much a serving of a specific type of food should be. At the top of the image it says 'Size it right'. Below that text it says 'a guide (based on standards that most nutritionists follow) to what one serving should look like'. The image has boxes with images of food and an object next to it. There are 12 boxes. Each box has a food item with an equals sign next to it and next to the equals sign there is an object that indicates how much of that food you should eat. In the box on the top left there is a steak that equals an iPod classic. In the top middle box there is a cheese round with slices cut out of it that equals a match box. In the box on the top right there is a pancake in a skillet that equals a CD. In the second row, the first box has three types of pasta stacked on top of one another that equals an ice cream scoop. In the middle box on the second row there is a potato that equals a computer mouse. In the last box in the middle row there is fish that equals a checkbook. In the first box on the third row there is butter that is not in any packaging equals to a stamp. In the second box in the third row there is salad dressing in glass containers equals to a one ounce shot glass. In the last box in the third row there is a bow of brown rice equal to a baseball. In the first box in the fourth row there is a slice of bread with peanut butter on it equals to a golf ball. In the second box in the fourth row there dry red beans equals a light bulb. In the last box in the third row there is dark chocolate equal to dental floss.

4. The Five Food Groups

As the MyPlate icon shows, the five food groups are Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the importance of an overall healthy eating pattern with all five groups as key building blocks, plus oils. (While oils are not a food group, they are emphasized as part of a healthy eating pattern because they are a major source of essential fatty acids and vitamin E). Each food group includes a variety of foods that are similar in nutritional makeup, and each group plays an important role in an overall healthy eating pattern. Some of the food groups are broken down further into subgroups to emphasize foods that are particularly good sources of certain vitamins and minerals. For example, the subgroups within the Grains Group encourage whole grains, which provide more fiber, magnesium, and zinc than refined grains.

term to know
The Five Food Groups
Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy.

4a. Purpose of Food Groups

As nutrition science has progressed over time, scientists have discovered vitamins, minerals, and other components that make up our foods, and surely, there are more yet to be discovered. Food groups simplify dietary recommendations by focusing on foods instead of nutrients. For example, it’s much easier to try to eat two cups of fruit a day than 75 milligrams of vitamin C and 25 grams of fiber. The USDA Food Patterns provide the recommended amounts of each food group and subgroup at 12 different calorie levels, ranging from 1,000 to 3,200. These patterns are developed using food pattern modeling. By eating recommended amounts, individuals can meet their nutritional needs without having to track dozens of individual nutrients.

4b. Food Group Amounts

The USDA Food Patterns specify targets for each food group in cup equivalents (for Fruits, Vegetables, and Dairy) and ounce equivalents (for Grains and Protein Foods). Each pattern also includes a limited number of calories (8-19%) that can be used in other ways, such as small amounts of added sugars and saturated fats. Americans are encouraged to choose foods in their most nutrient-dense forms as often as possible, to keep added sugars and saturated fat intakes each below 10 percent of total calorie intake.

hint
Here are some tips to control your portion sizes when you are eating at home.
  • Do not eat from the bag or package. You could be tempted to eat too much. Use the serving size on the package to portion out the snack into small bags or bowls. You can also buy single-serving portions of your favorite snack foods. If you buy in bulk, you can divide snacks up into single-serving portions when you get home from the store.
  • Serve food on smaller plates. Eat from a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Keep serving dishes on the kitchen counter so you will have to get up for seconds. Putting your food out of easy reach and out of sight will make it harder for you to overeat.
  • Half of your plate should contain fruits and vegetables. Divide the other half between lean protein and whole grains. Filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables before you serve the rest of your entree is one of the easiest methods of portion control.
  • Substitute lower-fat varieties of food. Instead of whole-fat cream cheese, sour cream, and milk, buy low-fat or skim instead. Use half the amount you would normally use to save even more calories. You can try replacing half of the cream cheese with hummus or mix the sour cream with plain yogurt to make this easier.
  • Do not eat mindlessly. When you snack in front of the television or while doing other activities, you will be distracted enough that you may eat too much. Eat at the table. Focus your attention on your food so you will know when you have had enough to eat.
  • Snack between meals, if desired. If you are hungry between meals, eat a healthy, high-fiber snack, such as a piece of fruit, small salad, or bowl of broth-based soup. The snack will fill you up so that you do not eat too much at your next meal. Snacks that pair protein and carbohydrates with fiber will leave you more satisfied. Some examples are having an apple with string cheese, whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter, or baby carrots with hummus.

hint
Here are some tips to control your portion sizes when eating out.
  • Order the small size. Instead of a medium or large, ask for the smallest size. By eating a small hamburger instead of a large, you will save about 150 calories. A small order of fries will save you about 300 calories, and a small soda will save 150 calories. Don't super-size your order.
  • Order the "lunch size" of a food, rather than the dinner size.
  • Order appetizers rather than entrees.
  • Share your meal. Split an entree with a friend, or cut your meal in half when it arrives. Put one half in a to-go box before you start eating. You can have the rest of your meal for lunch the next day.
  • Fill up with lower-calorie foods. Order a small salad, fruit cup, or cup of broth-based soup before your entree. It will fill you up so that you eat less of your meal.

Although individuals ultimately decide what and how much to consume, their personal relationships, the settings in which they live, learn, work, play, and gather, and other contextual factors like their ability to consistently access healthy and affordable food, strongly influence their choices. Health professionals, communities, businesses and industries, organizations, government, and other segments of society all have a role to play in supporting individuals and families in making choices that align with the Dietary Guidelines and ensuring that all people have access to a healthy and affordable food supply.

try it
When you bring up healthy eating, keep the tone positive and encouraging. You will read a few friendly conversation starters. Think about how you could respond and the information that could be given.
What does a typical dinner look like for your family?
In this conversation, you can ask about favorite meals and find out if the family eats together or separately. Then, suggest small, healthy changes tailored to their situation. Always meet people where they are.
Who does the grocery shopping and cooking in your home?
Find out what they’re buying and how often they cook. Explain how to use the Nutrition Facts label to make healthier choices and encourage them to cook more at home.
When you’re thirsty, what kind of drink do you reach for?
Over a third of the added sugars in the American diet come from sweetened drinks, like soda. Try to encourage a healthier option like water.

summary
In this lesson you learned about developing a meal plan using the USDA Food Patterns. You learned how the dietary guidelines are used by health professionals to promote health and prevent disease. You learned the three USDA Food Patterns, which are: the healthy U.S.-style pattern, the healthy vegetarian pattern, and the healthy Mediterranean-style pattern. In this lesson, we discussed tools for developing dietary patterns, such as myplate.gov, and you learned about the five food groups, which are fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.

Source: THIS TUTORIAL HAS BEEN ADAPTED FROM LUMEN LEARNING’S “NUTRITION FLEXBOOK”. ACCESS FOR FREE AT https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-nutrition/. LICENSE: creative commons attribution 4.0 international.

REFERENCES

USDA food patterns. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2011, September 1). Retrieved April 26, 2022, from www.fns.usda.gov/usda-food-patterns

Home | dietary guidelines for Americans. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf

Terms to Know
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)

A set of guidelines that are updated every five years to guide policymakers, nutrition experts (like Registered Dietitian Nutritionists), and other health professionals to promote health and prevent disease.

Dietary Pattern

The combination of foods and beverages that constitutes an individual’s complete dietary intake over time. This may be a description of a customary way of eating or a description of a combination of foods recommended for consumption.

Food Group Plan

A plan to help you build a diet from clusters of foods that are similar in nutrient content.

The Five Food Groups

Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

A department responsible for developing and executing laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food.

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