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Find information on the history of government dietary guidance including older editions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the history of the National School Lunch program and other food assistance programs, and more history of nutrition and foods.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Service Historical Timeline
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
A summary of historical research carried out by the scientists of the USDA and the Agricultural Research Service from the 1860s to the present.

Development of the USDA Food Plans: The 1983 Family Food Plans
USDA. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Provides historical information on the development of the 1983 USDA family food plans including the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, which represent nutritious diets at different costs. The Thrifty Food Plan is the basis for food stamp allotments.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: A Historical Overview (PDF|233KB)
USDA. NAL. Food and Nutrition Information Center.
Historical compilation of professional reviews and commentaries of the Dietary Goals for the United States and Dietary Guidelines for Americans documents published between 1977–2002 by governmental and non-governmental agencies, scientists, and educators.

Dietary Recommendations and How They Have Changed Over Time (PDF|180 KB)
USDA. Economic Research Service.
Published in 1999, this paper describes how USDA dietary recommendations evolved since the late 1800’s to keep pace with scientific findings and changing patterns of food consumption.

FoodReview: Annual Spotlight on the U.S. Food System
USDA. Economic Research Service.
This issue of FoodReview is the annual spotlight on the U.S. food system, 2000, featuring articles on food consumption and spending, food markets, food assistance and nutrition, and food safety. Volume 23, Issue 3.

FoodReview: Spotlight on the U.S. Food System
USDA. Economic Research Service.
Includes several articles on America’s changing eating patterns.

National School Lunch Program Background and Development
USDA. Food and Nutrition Service.
Provides information on the historical development of the National School Lunch Program. Also includes links to the background information for the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the National School Breakfast Program.

Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 1909-1997 (PDF|674 KB)
USDA. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Presents historical data on the nutrient content of the food supply in the United States. Includes data on macronutrients as well as 19 vitamins and minerals.

Pattern for Daily Food Choices (1984 - Present)
USDA. NAL. Food and Nutrition Information Center.
Pattern for Daily Food Choices includes the Food Guide Pyramid, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and American Red Cross Food Wheel.

Previous Editions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Looking for old versions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans? Find them here.
Also find a summary table comparing the major components of the five Dietary Guidelines editions published 1980 to 2000.

Other Historical Information

African American Dietary Patterns at the Beginning of the 20th Century
Journal of Nutrition.
Documents the differences in eating patterns of African Americans in rural and metropolitian areas.

Food History Lessons
The Food Timeline.
A Teacher's Resource on food history.

Food Timeline
Historical Information on Food.
Places foods and recipes on a timeline.

History of Food in Space
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Provides information about food usage in the Space Program.

History of Frozen Foods
American Frozen Food Institute.
Provides a timeline of historical information from the 1930's to today.

Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools - Historical Perspective
NAP. Food and Nutrition Board.
Provides information on the historical role of nutrition and disease prevention. 1985.

Nutrition History
Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Includes monographs on history of nutrition from 15th to the 20th century.

Overview and History of FDA and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
FDA. Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.
Provides a gateway to information on the history of FDA and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Special Collections: Peacock-Harper Culinary Collection
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia Tech Library.
Collection of cookbooks and related culinary reference items.

Vitamins and Minerals: Historical Comparison of RDI's, RDA's and DRI's, 1968 to Present
Council for Responsible Nutrition.

Last Modified: Feb 27, 2009


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