USDA develops and promotes dietary guidance and nutritional recommendations aimed at improving the health and well-being of Americans.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines), jointly issued by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, is the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities. The Dietary Guidelines provides a customizable framework for healthy eating that can be tailored and adapted to meet personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
MyPlate
MyPlate replaced MyPyramid and the Food Guide Pyramid in 2011. MyPlate illustrates the five food groups as the building blocks for a healthy diet. Through the familiar mealtime visual of a plate and fork, MyPlate reminds people to think about this idea while eating. MyPlate helps consumers put the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into action with inspiration and simple ideas to remind Americans to make healthy choices at every life stage across the food groups.
USDA Food Plans
USDA provides nutritious food plans to accommodate thrifty, low-cost, moderate-cost, and liberal budgets.
Healthy Eating Index
The Healthy Eating Index is a summary measure of overall diet quality. It provides a picture of the types and quantities of food people eat and the degree to which diets align with the recommendations set forth in the Dietary Guidelines.
Dietary Supplements
USDA provides information on dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and botanicals.
Diet and Human Performance Laboratory
USDA analyzes and makes recommendations on how the dietary intake of energy, fiber, and fat promotes life-long maintenance of health and optimizes quality of life.
Diet and Health Brief
USDA examines all aspects of American food choices such as what we eat, where we eat it, why we eat it, what effect these choices have for America's farmers, and what might be the health consequences of those choices.
Consumption Brief
USDA conducts research to monitor and evaluate food consumption in America from various perspectives. Research analysts examine what we eat, how much we pay for our food, and how our food consumption choices relate to diet quality and nutrition.
Team Nutrition
To help meet the goal of healthier children, USDA launched Team Nutrition to help make implementation of healthy school meals in schools easier and more successful.
National Nutrient Database
USDA's online National Nutrient Database is a user friendly, searchable version of the authoritative nutrient database available for download free of charge.