The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities. They are jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS).

The Dietary Guidelines provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.


Development of the Dietary Guidelines, 2010

The process for developing the Dietary Guidelines, 2010 is under way.

Click here to view the Federal Register notice (vol. 73, no. 70, pp. 19454-19455) announcing the Intent to Establish the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Solicitation for Membership to the Committee. This Federal Register notice closed on May 24, 2008. The first meeting of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is expected in September 2008. As with all future Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee meetings, a Federal Register notice will announce this meeting.

The Dietary Guidelines, 2005 remain the current guidance until the Dietary Guidelines, 2010 are published.


Current Guidelines ― Dietary Guidelines, 2005

Following a May 2003 Federal Register notice calling for nominations, the USDA and HHS Secretaries selected 13 professionals to serve on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The Committee was responsible for reviewing and updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000.

After a year of review and meetings, the Committee submitted their final report to USDA and HHS: Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.

On January 12, 2005, Secretaries Ann Veneman (USDA) and Tommy Thompson (HHS) released an 80-page policy document and a consumer brochure, Finding Your Way to a Healthier You.

For more information on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, and for additional publications, click here.

As part of the Putting the Guidelines into Practice series, USDA plans to update consumer brochures with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 and MyPyramid. See the right column for updated publications.


Previous Guidelines ― Dietary Guidelines, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, and 1980 versions

The Dietary Guidelines were first published in 1980, with revisions every 5 years. For information on previous editions, click here.

Last Modified: 08/21/2008