Good nutrition is essential for maintaining overall health, supporting growth, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. However, with so much information available—some of it conflicting or misleading—it can be challenging to understand what constitutes a healthy diet. This article explores key nutrition guidelines, debunks common dietary myths, and provides guidance on finding credible nutrition information.
Key Nutrition Guidelines (2020-2025)
The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) emphasize a lifelong approach to healthy eating. Here are the four overarching principles:
1. Follow a Healthy Dietary Pattern at Every Life Stage
- Infants (0-6 months): Exclusively feed human milk, if possible. If unavailable, use iron-fortified infant formula.
- Infants (6-12 months): Introduce nutrient-dense complementary foods while continuing human milk or formula.
- Children to Older Adults: Maintain a balanced diet to meet nutrient needs, support a healthy weight, and lower disease risk.
“The Dietary Guidelines provide a blueprint for a healthy eating pattern at every stage of life from birth all the way to the end of life. So the first six months talks about exclusively providing breast milk to infants. Then after six months, you can introduce formula and other things like baby food. And usually around the 12th month to the second year, you can begin to introduce more solid foods as you would eat as an adult. Typically, it mimics what the parents eat from a cultural perspective,” nutritionist Eric Meredith explains.
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Additionally, early flavor development begins with breastfeeding.
“Babies develop a flavor profile based on what the mom eats during breastfeeding as well,” Meredith adds.
Meredith also notes that these dietary guidelines are meant to be general recommendations rather than specific medical advice.
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“For individualized nutrition, please consult with your primary care physician or a dietitian,” he advises.
2. Customize Nutrition Based on Preferences, Culture & Budget
Healthy eating is not one-size-fits-all. You can adapt nutrition recommendations based on your lifestyle, traditions, and financial considerations.
“A lot of times we tell folks they should eat whole and organic food. That might be cost-prohibitive for some folks.” Meredith advises.
If fresh isn’t an option, opt for frozen foods, which are shelf-stable and more affordable. While canned foods aren’t always the healthiest, they can be a better option than processed snacks.
“I would rather people eat canned green beans and rinse off the excess sodium than eat chips, for example,” Meredith adds.
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3. Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods & Stay Within Calorie Limits
What is a nutrient-dense food? Nutrient-dense foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy or plant-based alternatives, lean protein, and healthy fats.
“Half your grains should be whole. Vegetables should be, the more robust the color the better. Dairy should be low fat. Dairy includes milk, yogurt, lactose-free versions and plant-based versions of those foods. Lean protein, usually the smaller the animal, the less fat it has. So, poultry, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and then seafood,” Meredith says.
A nutrient-dense diet includes:
- Vegetables (dark leafy greens, red and orange varieties, beans, peas, lentils)
- Fruits (whole, not just juices)
- Grains (at least 50% whole grains)
- Dairy (low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy alternatives)
- Protein (lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy, beans, peas, and lentils)
- Healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, and fats found in nuts/seeds and seafood)
Meredith also highlights the importance of healthy preparation methods.
“Healthy preparation methods are steaming, roasting, and grilling instead of always boiling them, which takes a lot of the vitamins and minerals out of water-soluble vegetables,” Meredith advises.
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4. Limit Added Sugars, Saturated Fats, Sodium & Alcohol
- Added sugars: Less than 10% of daily calories (starting at age 2).
- Saturated fat: Less than 10% of daily calories (starting at age 2).
- Sodium: Less than 2,300 mg/day (less for children). If you have hypertension, it should be below 1,500 mg/day.
- Alcohol: If consumed, limit to 1 drink/day for women, 2 for men.
“Added sugar should be less than 10% of total calories. Saturated fat, which is the fat that’s solid at room temperature, should also be less than 10% of total calories. Sodium should be less than 2,300 milligrams per day for the average person. However, if you have hypertension, aka high blood pressure, this should be below 1,500 milligrams per day,” Meredith explains.
He also emphasizes the importance of reading food labels.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘How do I know if food is healthy or not?’ You have to look at the nutrition facts label. Typically, for one serving, if a nutrient is less than 20% of daily value for total saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars, that is a healthier product, and it should be higher than 20% if you’re looking at things like fiber and protein.”
How to Find Credible Nutrition Information
With the proliferation of nutrition advice on social media, it’s crucial to verify sources.
“One of the things I ask people to do is check the credentials of the person giving the information. Are they a doctor, nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or registered dietitian? Usually, a person who has credentials has gone through the education, training, and maintains their certification in order to be able to keep those credentials,” Meredith warns.
He also suggests using reputable sources.
“When I’m looking for credible information, I’m looking for a health association like the Cleveland Clinic or government sites like .gov or .edu, which are related to academic institutions. These have credentialed professionals doing the necessary research,” he says.
Final Thoughts
By making informed dietary choices and prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, you can support lifelong health and wellness. Meredith recommends using trusted tools to stay informed.
“Some apps that might be helpful for calorie control and tracking nutrients are MyFitnessPal. If you have any questions about individualized nutrition, you should definitely talk to your primary care physician to get referred to a registered dietitian,” Meredith advises.
Understanding and following these nutrition guidelines helps you make healthier choices, avoid misinformation, and maintain a balanced diet. Remember, small changes over time lead to big health benefits!
Medically Reviewed By:
Eric Meredith
Chef Eric Paul is a classically trained chef, Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, and expert in chronic disease prevention with over 15 years of experience. His work has been featured on major networks like ABC, CBS, and ESPN. Through his nonprofit, Health Heroes, he uses entertainment and technology to make health information more engaging for youth. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and a board member of 100 Black Men of Chicago.
