By Elizabeth Jarrard, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every 5 years the American government re-evaluates the state of health in America and sets guidelines to try to improve the diet of its public. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines place stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity due to high incidence of obesity in our country. After reviewing close to 2,000 research articles, these guidelines are designed to not only help prevent and reduce diet-related chronic diseases, but at the same time, foster good health and a healthy weight among all Americans. The guidelines are presented as 23 key recommendations that are designed as an integrated roadmap to achieve an overall healthy eating pattern. You can read the full document here, but there are a few points we wanted to draw your attention to:

Top Recommendations:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables! Aim to eat at least 2.5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day!Image Source
  

• Switch to fat free or 1% milk
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Fat intake: 20% to 35% of total calories Saturated fat: less than 10% of total calories Trans-fats: less than 1% of calories. Stick to healthy fats in nuts, avocados, seeds, and olive oil!

• Healthy Young adults should consume under 2,300 mg of sodium a day.
• Make at least half your grains whole-look for 100% whole grain when shopping!
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The overall emphasis was on a plant-based diet, that is centered around whole foods and fruits and vegetables, staying away from sugar, fat and salt-laden processed foods. These guidelines provide a good outline of what we can hope to accomplish as a nation. The Sargent Choice program makes sure that all our recipes and products meet the Dietary Guidelines. But each individual has unique needs. Meeting with a registered dietitian is helpful in assessing how to create the healthiest diet for you! If you are a BU student the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center offers complimentary nutrition counseling sessions, contact to take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

Do you think you can stick to these dietary guidelines?