Learn → Glossary → policy economics

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Federal, evidence-based dietary recommendations issued jointly by USDA and HHS every five years.

Also: DGA

The DGA translates DRIs and the latest research into food-based guidance for the general population aged two years and older. Recent editions emphasize healthy dietary patterns over single-nutrient targets, include life-stage chapters (pregnancy, lactation, infancy), and align with the MyPlate consumer tool. The DGA shapes school meal standards, WIC food packages, and federal nutrition assistance.

How each textbook covers it

duyff-complete-food-and-nutrition-guide-5e
Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 10
The DGA translates DRIs and the latest research into food-based guidance for the general population aged two years and older. Recent editions emphasize healthy dietary patterns over single-nutrient targets, include life-stage chapters (pregnancy, lactation, infancy), and align with the MyPlate consumer tool. The DGA shapes school meal standards, WIC food packages, and federal nutrition assistance.

Related terms

DASH Diet, Healthy Eating Index, MyPlate