The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, jointly issued by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities.
The Food Guide Pyramid is a nutrition education tool that outlines the kinds and amounts of food to eat each day. It focuses on the five basic food groups and the number of portions people should consume in a day.
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 comply with the recommendations set forth in the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid.
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.
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children is an adaptation of the original Food Guide Pyramid designed to simplify educational messages and focus on young children's food preferences and nutritional requirements.
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.
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.
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.
USDA's online National Nutrient Database is a user friendly, searchable version of the authoritative nutrient database available for download free of charge.
