New Dietary Guidelines for Healthier Americans

January, 2011  USDA Office of Communication

The United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly announced 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Ameircans.  The guidelines is the evidence-based nutritional guidance to reduce obesity-related chronic illnesses.

More than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.  Eating less calories and being physically more active (such as walking, cycling, skate boarding instead of driving) receive more emphasis.

Concrete suggestions will be offered, such as:  Eat less of high-calorie foods, decrease portion size, fill up half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, drink skim milk or low-fat (1%) milk, avoid foods with high salt contents (read all your labels and pick the ones with lower "Sodium" content), switch to water from sugary drinks (sodas, fruit juices, specialty coffee drinks, for example).

They also made recommendations for pregnant women: 
Always eat fiber-rich breakfast (whole grain cereals with fruit),
Eat more variety of fruits and vegetables (bright colored fruits and vegetables), beans and whole grains. 
Reduce refined carbohydrates (white bread) and eat more of brown rice or oatmeal or whole grains. 
Eat healthy snacks (fat-free yogurt with fruit, whole grain crackers, low fat cottage cheeses). 
Take prenatal vitamin with iron and folic acid with food. 
Avoid certain fish, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish.  Canned light tuna has less mercury.  Shrimp, salmon, and catfish are low in mercury.
No soft cheeses (like Brie, feta, and goat cheese - can carry bacteria harmful to your baby) and lunch meats (high salt content, sometimes undercooked).
Drink water instead of soft drinks, fruit juices; no alcohol (can damage your baby), limit caffeine.

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