Category: Diet & Nutrition

For individuals and families trying to make healthy food choices, the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released this week, reinforce a familiar message: we should eat more whole foods and protein.

Building meals around whole, nutrient-dense foods remains the cornerstone of a healthy diet.

Updated every five years, these federal guidelines shape nutrition education and public health messaging nationwide. Jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the recommendations reflect the most current, evidence-based nutrition science for the general, healthy population. While written primarily for health professionals, the guidance also informs public-facing tools, including visuals such as MyPlate that help translate nutrition science into everyday practice.

The newest edition retains many long-standing principles from previous guidelines while also introducing several updates that are drawing attention from nutrition professionals.

What stayed the same

At their core, the 2025-2030 guidelines continue to emphasize eating patterns that support long-term health.

Whole, nutrient-dense foods: The guidelines emphasize vegetables (3 servings per day, for someone consuming 2,000 calories daily), fruits (2 servings per day for a 2,000-calorie diet), whole grains and other minimally processed foods that provide essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Highly processed foods in moderation: Limiting foods such as chips, cookies, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages is recommended. These items are typically high in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium, which are associated with increased risk for diet-related chronic diseases.

Saturated fat limits: The recommendation to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total daily calories remains unchanged. For someone consuming 2,000 calories per day, this equates to about 22 grams of saturated fat.

What’s new

While the overall foundation remains familiar, the updated guidelines introduce several changes that may require additional context for consumers.

Fat and protein sources: The guidelines place greater emphasis on red meat, full-fat dairy products, butter and beef tallow. Regularly choosing these foods as primary sources of fat or protein may make it more difficult to stay within the recommendation to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and other diet-related chronic diseases.

Nonnutritive sweeteners: Guidance on nonnutritive sweeteners has been updated. Current evidence indicates sweeteners such as sucralose are safe within established limits and may help some individuals manage calorie or carbohydrate intake.

What it means for consumers

Despite the updates, the guidelines’ emphasis on whole foods and limiting highly processed items remains the foundation of national nutrition guidance.

“The updated guidelines continue to emphasize whole, nutrient-dense foods as the foundation of a healthy eating pattern,” said Hannah Wilson, an assistant professor in Clemson University’s Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences and a registered dietitian. “As consumers navigate updates to the guidelines, focusing on balance and overall dietary patterns remains key.”

Individuals with questions about how the recommendations apply to their own health goals are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals, such as healthcare providers or Extension nutrition educators.

Source: news.clemson.edu©

Skip the sugar in your daily coffee or tea

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Coffee add-ins could be adding in unnecessary extra calories to your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, common calorie culprits include sugar, half-and-half, whipping cream, and even fat-free milk. Meanwhile, black coffee has only five calories. Registered dietitian Andy Bellatti adds that another good swap is unsweetened plant milk instead of the sweetened ones for your beverages.

Ditch the condiments

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Topping foods with heavy sauces or condiments could add extra calories and often little nutritional value. For example, ketchup often has a high amount of sugar. According to Monica Auslander, a registered dietitian and founder of Essence Nutrition, one teaspoon of ketchup is equal to eating a sugar packet. “It’s deceiving because it has no fat, so people think they can enjoy freely,” she says. “Unfortunately, we now know that sugar is far more insidious than fat.” Fortunately, there are healthier lower-calorie options such as pesto, hummus, and DIY recipes. These are the condiments that are bad for your health.

Cut back on alcoholic drinks

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It could be beneficial for your health and your weight loss goals to drink more water and less alcohol. Dr. Bazilian says that alcohol doesn’t have to necessarily be avoided altogether. but you should think if and where alcohol fits in the context of your overall health goals. “Aside from calories, alcohol doesn’t offer much by way of nutrition, so it’s at minimum an important decision to have going into any weight-loss program for yourself whether, how often, what type and how much may or may not fit in your timeline and goals,” she says. Alcohol also reduces inhibitions sometimes making it more challenging to make healthy eating choices, according to Dr. Bazilian. And alcohol may negatively impact sleep which plays a role in healthy metabolism, she adds.

Allow yourself a little wiggle room

Source:    Readers Digest©

Cook most of your meals at home

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Eating at home puts you more in control of what you eat and how much you eat. One study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that people who ate at least five home-cooked meals per day were 28 percent less likely categorized as overweight. And they were 24 percent less likely to have excess body fat than participants who ate less than three home-cooked meals per week. Here are the weight loss rules pros cheat on.

Try measuring high-calorie ingredients

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Portion control is another key element of weight loss. Part of the process is understanding an actual serving size. Measuring high-calorie ingredients will help you learn to eyeball portions. Even calories from healthy foods add up. “One of the foods people love are healthy fats, which are great,” Amari Thomsen, MS, RD, LDN, dietitian, and founder of Eat Chic Chicago says. Your definition of a handful of nuts might be four times bigger than an actual serving size, she warns.

Swap instead of restricting

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Different foods have different nutritional values, even if they sometimes have the same number of calories. And making a few simple food swaps could be beneficial for both your health and your waistline. Felicia Stoler, RD, an exercise physiologist, suggests swapping margarine for butter, corn oil for soybean oil, corn-fed proteins for grass-fed proteins, and artificial egg whites for farm fresh eggs. “Smart consumers are choosing grass-fed options because those tend to have more nutrients and fewer added hormones,” Stoler says.

Nix your soda habit

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Liquid calories could sabotage weight loss success. Soda is an obvious culprit, but fruit juice, energy drinks, alcohol, and other sugary beverages could all also add to weight gain or obesity, according to research. “Sometimes a bottle of iced tea or juice has 2.5 servings,” says Lisa Lillien, founder of HungryGirl.com and author of the book The Hungry Girl Diet. “Read labels and you’ll see it’s just not worth it.” Dr. Bazilian adds that sodas and other fruit “drinks” don’t satisfy hunger—meaning you may eat equal or more in food calories too. These are the quick weight loss tips nutrition pros swear by.

Switch salad dressings

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Fresh salads with fruits and vegetables are a great way to pack a nutritious punch. But using a high calorie dressing with lots of fat, salt, and sugar could be adding unnecessary calories. Libby Mills, MS, RDN, LDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says pre-made dressings are one of the worst offenders. Instead, ask for salad on the side when eating out or use fresh lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil for a lighter option. Here are other salad mistakes that could cause weight gain.

Article continues at Part 6

Balance your meals

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Cutting out food groups is not the healthiest weight loss solution. “When you eliminate either fats or carbohydrates, you’re probably eating way too much of what’s left over,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. For example, if you cut out fat, you could overdo it on carbohydrates or vice versa. Instead, Kirkpatrick recommends balancing your meals and having one whole grain carbohydrate at each meal and opting for low-fat dairy products and lean meats. 

Use a large fork

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It might seem counterintuitive to eat with a large fork, but a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that restaurant diners who used big forks ate significantly less than those eating with small forks. Researchers believe using a big fork gives people the idea that they are filling up since larger forks hold more food, CBS News reports.

Or eat with your hands

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Eating finger foods takes more time leading to a more satisfying experience, Amy Gorin, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in Jersey City, New Jersey says. “I’ll often include finger foods in my clients’ meal plans, as it’s not just kids who love to eat with their hands,” she says. Some good options include lightly salted edamame, hummus, whole-grain crackers, sliced mushrooms, and sliced bell peppers.

Splurge for the pre-chopped and pre-washed produce

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If taking the time to slice and dice vegetables holds you back from eating them, then invest in the pre-chopped or pre-washed vegetables. Rene Ficek, RD, the lead nutrition expert at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating says fresh produce is the cornerstone of healthy nutrition—and using pre-chopped vegetables could cut your cooking time in half. “Plus, keeping sliced veggies and prepared dips like hummus are great to have on hand at all times,” Fieck adds.

Always keep healthy snacks on hand

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Eating healthy is easier if you prepare for the expected and the unexpected. That’s why Lara Felton, RDN, head of the dietary team at mobile nutrition app ShopWell recommends preparing filling snacks for work or school. “I find that people often make poor food choices because they get so hungry, they just grab whatever is close,” she says. “If you have something healthy already tucked in your bag or briefcase, you’ll save yourself the extra calories and eater’s remorse.” She recommends packing snacks that have a balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fat to keep your energy levels up and hunger at bay, but nothing too perishable or fragile.

For more, see Part 5