Print
You wouldn’t think something so staid-sounding as the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025” would be controversial. But the 140-plus-page document, released late last year, has caused quite a stir among public health experts who think it hasn’t gone far enough.
Praised for expanding the 2015 version to now include recommendations for infants, toddlers and pregnant and lactating women and for using the widely accepted MyPlate approach to healthy eating the guidelines’ positive tagline is: “Make Every Bite Count.”
The guidelines, which are available to download free, are updated and released every five years by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services. They are far-reaching: In addition to the general public and medical professionals nationwide, they are used by policymakers who rely on them to guide decisions on federal food programs, such as school lunches for lower-income families.