Chapter 2 Shifts Needed To Align With Healthy Eating PatternsPrint this section
About This Chapter
This chapter focuses on the fourth Dietary Guideline:
- Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan. All food and beverage choices matter. Choose a healthy eating pattern at an appropriate calorie level to help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, support nutrient adequacy, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
- Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount. To meet nutrient needs within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all food groups in recommended amounts.
- Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake. Consume an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Cut back on foods and beverages higher in these components to amounts that fit within healthy eating patterns.
- Shift to healthier food and beverage choices. Choose nutrient-dense foods and beverages across and within all food groups in place of less healthy choices. Consider cultural and personal preferences to make these shifts easier to accomplish and maintain.
- Support healthy eating patterns for all. Everyone has a role in helping to create and support healthy eating patterns in multiple settings nationwide, from home to school to work to communities.
The chapter includes quantitative information on intakes and common sources of food groups, their subgroups, and other dietary components, including nutrients. The chapter also includes strategies to help shift current eating patterns toward the healthy patterns described in Chapter 1. Complementary strategies to support individuals in their effort to make shifts are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 3. Everyone Has a Role in Supporting Healthy Eating Patterns.