The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 were released Jan. 31 specifically focusing on two concepts (1). The first is maintaining calorie balance to help derail the obesity epidemic.  The second, addressing the point that Americans are overfed yet undernourished, is to focus consumption on nutrient-rich foods and beverages which have high nutritional value for a modest amount of calories. Nutrient-rich foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and plant-based proteins, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. The selected messages for consumers (in italics) are practical and should help nudge consumers toward making wiser choices to help them achieve a healthy weight.

Avoid oversized portions. Restaurant portions come easily to mind, and by splitting an order with a friend or putting half in a to-go box, one will eat less. However, bringing home club-size packages of foods from the grocery store, eating food out of large packages, or using large dinner plates can also lead to overconsumption (2).

Enjoy your food, but eat less. One should both take pleasure in food and monitor how much one is eating. Turning off the television, eating at a designated place like the dinner table, and reducing other distractions helps people focus and enjoy their food. It also helps people pay close attention to what they are eating, helping them eat less (2).

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables, especially non-starchy types, contain lots of nutrients and water, making them naturally low in calories. In addition, their fiber content helps add satiety to a meal, and eating a colorful variety of fresh, frozen, canned or dried varieties adds texture and visual appeal to any meal.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk. One glass of nonfat milk has fewer than 90 calories and provides plenty of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals. Merely switching from 2% or whole milk to nonfat saves 30 to 60 calories per cup, and at less than $0.25/serving it is a cost-effective way to get important nutrients.

Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals-and choose foods with lower numbers. The average American gets more than twice the maximum recommended amount of 2,300 mg of sodium per day, mostly from processed and packaged foods. Encouraging people to cook more homemade meals will help them reduce sodium intake. Consider this: a cup of homemade chicken noodle soup contains about 25 mg versus a cup of the canned version at 927 mg.

Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Sugar-sweetened beverages don’t contribute to satiety, but add a considerable amount of empty calories to the diet. The average adult consumes more than 16 ounces each day; about 200 calories and 12.5 teaspoons of sugar with no nutritional value (3). Water is essential, has no calories, quenches thirst and may help reduce hunger and caloric intake (4).   

(1) U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition. 2010. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

(2) Wansink B, VanIttersum K (2007). Portion Size Me: Downsizing Our Consumption Norms. Journal of the American Dietetic Association ; 107:1103-1106.

(3) New York State healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance: Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Fact Sheet.(http://www.nyshepa.org/documents/NYSHEPA%20SSB%20Fact%20SheetFinal2%205%2010%20doc.pdf)

(4) Dennis EA, Flack KD, Davy BM (2009). Beverage Consumption and Adult Weight Management: A Review. Eating Behaviors; 10(4):237–246.