Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day, and research has focused on the nutrient composition of morning meals to define a healthier breakfast plate. The Dietary Guidelines ...for Americans (DGAs) serve as a foundation for informed nutritional choices, emphasizing balanced and healthy eating habits throughout the day. However, adherence to the DGAs remains suboptimal, particularly in regards to breakfast meals which tend to be high in carbohydrates and added sugars. To achieve a more balanced breakfast, it is suggested to replace carbohydrates, especially added sugars, with nutrient-dense whole food options such as protein-containing dairy products. This strategy can help improve the overall nutrient profile of breakfast meals and contribute to better dietary patterns.
Plant-based diets have been linked to both health benefits and a lower climate impact. However, plant-based diets may represent both healthy and unhealthy dietary practices. The present study aimed ...to develop a nationally adapted healthy plant-based diet based on the global EAT-Lancet reference diet. Development took place in a series of steps. First, the original EAT-Lancet reference diet was evaluated based on food availability, i.e., using Danish food data (Model 1). Then, the model was further modified to reflect national food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and characteristics of current consumption pattern, e.g., by including processed food, discretionary foods and beverages in the diet (Model 2). The contents of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, except for vitamin D and iodine, were found to be sufficient for Model 2, according to the recommended nutrient density to be used for planning diets for groups of individuals aged 6-65 years. In addition, the study gave an insight into the nutrients and foods to be aware of in planning a predominantly plant-based diet, thereby providing directions for future revisions of sustainable FBDGs. These include a stronger emphasis on the intake of legumes, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables including dark green vegetables, whole-grain products and vegetable oils as well as lowering meat intake.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provides science-based advice on dietary intake to promote health, reduce risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. It is jointly published by the ...United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture (USDA) every 5 y. As chronic diseases continue to rise to pervasive levels, helping the United States population follow the DGA is especially important for improving the health of our nation. The DGA is developed using a rigorous and transparent scientific process, and with the advice of an independent, external committee of leading scientists. Career federal nutrition scientists who manage the process ensure that the methods used to develop the DGA remain state of the art. Unfortunately, misinformation about the scientific basis, transparency, and relevance of the DGA for the United States population threatens its credibility. The main objective of this article is to correct this misinformation with factual information about the process used to develop the DGA. The DGA provides guidelines for the general public, and its primary audience includes policymakers and nutrition and health professionals who help individuals and families consume a healthy dietary pattern. Providing accurate information may bolster trust in the recommendations among these audiences while improving implementation across sectors to promote better adherence to the DGA, thereby improving diet quality among the United States population.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) includes a lacto-ovo vegetarian pattern (the Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern; HVDP) as one recommended dietary patterns during pregnancy.
To ...adapt the HVDP for vegan, ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, and pescatarian diets during pregnancy.
Using food pattern modeling, four adaptations of the HVDP were developed at energy levels that may be appropriate during pregnancy (1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, and 2600 kcal/day). Models were run both with and without the addition of a composite prenatal supplement.
Main outcome measures were macro- and micronutrient adequacy without exceeding recommendations for saturated fat and added sugar.
The 2020-2025 DGA Food Pattern Modeling Report was used to define food groups and nutrients in the HVDP. The HVDP was revised to remove dairy and/or eggs or to add seafood.
Across all examined energy levels (1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, and 2600 kcal per day), modeled dietary patterns provided sufficient macronutrients. Without prenatal supplements, each dietary pattern met most, but not all, micronutrient recommendations. Micronutrients that were below recommendations in patterns without supplements included vitamin D, iron, vitamin E, sodium, and choline. With the addition of an “composite” prenatal supplement to these patterns, the nutrients below 100% of recommendations were vitamin D, choline, and sodium.
Overall, these results show that a HVDP and similar diets without meat, eggs, dairy, and/or seafood can provide most nutrients needed during pregnancy, albeit with some micronutrient challenges similar to those diets that include meat and other animal products.
Background: Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) offer broad recommendations based on scientific evidence, focusing on food groups rather than nutrients that should be included in the diet. Emerging ...adulthood (18–30 years) is a critical period for poor dietary quality and mental health. Eating habits (EHs) are formed early in life and are influenced by various factors, such as emotional state, which can lead to either binge or restricted eating, ultimately increasing the risk of eating disorders (EDs). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the extent of adherence to the Saudi Healthy Plate Dietary Guidelines (SHPDGs) and its potential association with Eating Concerns (ECs) among Saudi females (aged 18–30 years) from all provinces in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A validated online questionnaire was used to assess eating behaviors (EBs) using the Starting The Conversation (STC) instrument and EC symptoms using the Eating Disorders Screen for Primary Care (ESP) screening tool. Results: The total sample size was 1092 participants with a mean age of 23.02 ± 3.47. Only 0.7% of the participants adhered to the SHPDGs and were free of EC symptoms. Conversely, 50.4% of participants who exhibited EC symptoms had poor adherence to the SHPDGs. Across Saudi Arabian provinces, high adherence to the SHPDGs was more prominent in both the Eastern and Western provinces (37.5%) than in the Central and Southern provinces (0%). The most striking result was that the Central province exhibited a high percentage of poor adherence to the SHPDGs (25.6%). Moreover, high adherence to SHPDGs was not associated with the probability of ECs. Conclusions: The present study revealed a trend of poor adherence to SHPDGs among Saudi females, with a large proportion also experiencing EC symptoms. Accordingly, the authors recommend increasing awareness within the Saudi community about SHPDGs using educational campaigns on social media platforms to enhance the importance of adopting a healthy diet, especially among females, and demonstrate that the impact on their health and well-being is that they are experiencing multiple phases that involve pregnancy and giving birth involves specific nutritional requirements.
Dietary guidelines provide evidence-based statements on food choices to meet nutritional requirements and reduce the risk of prevailing chronic disease. They involve a substantial amount of research ...translation, and their implementation has important health consequences. Foods, however, are complex combinations of nutrients and other compounds that act synergistically within the food and across food combinations. In addition, the evidence base underpinning dietary guidelines accesses research that reflects different study designs, with inherent strengths and limitations. We propose a systematic approach for the review of evidence that begins with research on dietary patterns. This research will identify the combinations of foods that best protect, or appear deleterious to, health. Next, we suggest that evidence be sought from research that focuses on the effects of individual foods. Finally, nutrient-based research should be considered to explain the mechanisms by which these foods and dietary patterns exert their effects, take into account the effects of ingredients added to the food supply, and enable assessments of dietary sufficiency. The consideration of individual nutrients and food components (e.g., upper limits for saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium) provides important benchmarks for evaluating overall diet quality. The concepts of core and discretionary foods (nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor foods, respectively) enable distinctions between foods, and this has implications for the relation between food policy and food manufacturing. In summary, evidence supporting healthy dietary patterns provides the foundation for the development of dietary guidelines. Further reference to individual foods and nutrients follows from the foundation of healthy dietary patterns.
BACKGROUND: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Index (DGAI) was created to assess adherence to the dietary recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) in relation to ...chronic disease risk. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the relation between dietary patterns consistent with the 2005 DGA as measured by the DGAI and both the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and individual MetS risk factors. DESIGN: DGAI scores and metabolic risk factors for MetS were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 3177 participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. MetS was defined on the basis of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, the DGAI score was inversely related to waist circumference (P for trend < 0.001), triacylglycerol concentration (P for trend = 0.005), both diastolic (P for trend = 0.002) and systolic (P for trend = 0.01) blood pressure, the prevalence of abdominal adiposity (P for trend < 0.001), and hyperglycemia (P for trend = 0.03). The prevalence of MetS was significantly lower in individuals in the highest DGAI quintile category than in those in the lowest category (odds ratio: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.88; P for trend = 0.005) when those being treated for any of the risk factors were excluded. There was a significant interaction between DGAI score and age; the association between the DGAI score and MetS was confined largely to adults younger than 55 y (odds ratio: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.92; P for trend < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A dietary pattern consistent with the 2005 DGA was associated with a lower prevalence of MetS--a potential risk factor for CVD.
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