Translating the Dietary Guidelines to Consumer Action

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are cornerstones in guiding consumers to make more healthful food choices. Since 1980 the dietary guidelines have been markedly consistent in their recommendations on the components of a healthful diet, yet dietary patterns of the American consumer remain far from the recommendations.

With each release of the dietary guidelines, the gap between the dietary recommendations and consumer food choices widens. In the United States, per capita annual fruit and…