The Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) convene a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to update advice on what Americans should eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. These recommendations form the basis for nutrition standards across government programs from school lunches to supplemental nutrition assistance programs. They also guide policymakers and healthcare providers. The 2020 Guidelines recognize that dietary supplements are helpful when it’s not possible to meet nutrient needs through food alone. CRN's Haiuyen Nguyen explains this short video.
Learn more about vitamin D through the CRN Foundation's "Vitamin D and Me!" initiative.
Learn more about CRN's engagement in the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the role supplements play in helping people obtain the nutrients they need:
On Dec. 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services jointly published the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
CRN has engaged in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's guidelines development process since 2018 to advocate for inclusion of dietary supplements in recommendations.
CRN provided public and oral comments throughout the Guidelines process, beginning with the selection of review topics, continuing through the deliberations of the Advisory Committee, and culminating in a detailed response to the scientific report. CRN provided the Departments with recommendations, based on the Advisory Committee’s findings, to incorporate into the Dietary Guidelines.
Get the summary—CRN Insights: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025—for more information on CRN's recommendations.
Nutritional considerations for each life stage
“A strength of the 2020 guidelines is the inclusion of an expanded discussion on special nutritional considerations for each life stage.”
—CRN's Haiuyen Nguyen, Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society's (RAPS) Regulatory Focus
The newest Dietary Guidelines edition (ninth) is the first to provide recommendations for all life stages, with the addition of infants and toddlers and pregnant and lactating women.
Dietary supplements in the Dietary Guidelines
A fundamental premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that nutritional needs should be met primarily from foods and beverages.
However, the Guidelines recognize that dietary supplements may be useful in providing nutrients that otherwise may be consumed in less than recommended amounts or that are of particular concern for specific population groups. Learn more.