By Suzanne Saggese, OSU Extension<\/p>\n
The Truth Contributor<\/p>\n
Figuring out what to eat seems like a chore, doesn\u2019t it? Grocery costs keep rising and we\u2019re trying to purchase food that we like but stay within our means. When we get on social media, we are bombarded with \u201ceat this, don\u2019t eat that\u201d or \u201cyou need to eat this to solve all your health issues.\u201d It\u2019s overwhelming, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
You were probably familiar with MyPlate. This was the icon based off the Dietary Guidelines for Americans<\/em> in 2010. The concept asked you to eat from the five food groups (Vegetables, Fruits, Dairy, Grains, Protein) in proportions indicated by the plate. The Dietary Guidelines<\/em> are generally released every five years, with MyPlate being the icon for the last 15 years.<\/p>\n In February 2026, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, <\/em>was released with a new icon and new advice for eating. \u201cEat real food.\u201d Sounds simple enough, but what do these new guidelines mean? Let\u2019s break down what it means for you.<\/p>\n What is \u201creal food\u201d? According to the Guidelines<\/em>, real food is whole, nutrient-dense foods that are not highly processed with added sugars, sodium, unhealthy fats or chemical additives. Think of steamed green beans, apple slices, baked chicken or a glass of milk instead of potato chips, chicken nuggets or energy drinks. The idea is to eat foods closest to their original form- like eating corn on the cob or popcorn instead of high-fructose corn syrup.<\/p>\n When choosing food, ask yourself this question, \u201cwhat is this going to do for me?\u201d Nutrition education today is asking you to make food choices based on the positive nutritive effect your meals and snacks can have on your overall health.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at fruits and vegetables. Eating these in any form- fresh, frozen, canned or dried- are important for good health. They are full of nutrients needed for healthy bodies and can even reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.<\/p>\n Look out for forms with added sodium and sugar though! Prepared juices often have additives, so be a label reader and investigate. Eat a variety of colors too, as color is often an indicator of increased nutrients. So, eat that bowl of greens, a baked sweet potato or sliced red bell peppers. You\u2019re giving your body good things like iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C with those colorful foods! The current guidelines suggest a goal of three servings of vegetables a day and two servings of fruits a day.<\/p>\n Current research is putting a higher priority on protein foods. Consume a variety of foods from both plant and animal sources- beans, nuts, seeds, soy as well as eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat. Consider your cooking methods, with a preference towards baking, broiling, roasting, grilling and stir frying. Deep fried proteins are a source of unneeded saturated fats. The current guidelines are based on body weight, but in general, three-to four servings of protein a day is adequate. For example, an egg at breakfast, \u00bd cup beans at lunch, and three ounces of chicken at dinner would fulfill dietary needs.<\/p>\n We are now instructed to focus entirely on whole grains and reduce consumption of processed and refined grains like white bread or white rice. Whole grains include 100 percent whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, popcorn and steel-cut oatmeal. There are many other options available, all providing fiber, which is important for digestive health. Whole grains are often a great source of B vitamins, which provide us with sustained energy. The recommendation is to consume 2-4 servings per day.<\/p>\n For those who enjoy whole milk, good news! There are no longer fat-reduction recommendations for dairy products. Be on the lookout for added sugars, especially in flavored milks. Dairy products like cottage cheese provide calcium and Vitamin D, which are important for bone health. Try three dairy servings per day.<\/p>\n Overall, we should continue to check our portion sizes. These recommendations are based on a 2,000 calorie\/day diet. Your dietary needs are generally based on your body weight and level of physical activity. Check with your medical provider about your specific needs.<\/p>\n You can learn more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans<\/em> at realfood.gov<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Saggese, OSU Extension The Truth Contributor Figuring out what to eat seems like a chore, doesn\u2019t it? Grocery costs keep rising and we\u2019re trying to purchase food that we like but stay within our means. When we get on social media, we are bombarded with \u201ceat this, don\u2019t eat that\u201d or \u201cyou need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[363],"class_list":["post-20629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20630,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20629\/revisions\/20630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20629"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=20629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}