As long as we have had food to consume, there has been advice on what and how much to eat. Yet, science-based recommendations on what foods to eat began only about a century ago. As we enter the new century, Food Insight takes a quick look back at the changes in dietary recommendations that brought us to the guidance we know today.
Dietary tools for consumers include dietary recommendations or guidance aimed at assisting the public formulate lifestyle and dietary choices to promote health and prevent disease. Additionally, food guides such as the Food Guide Pyramid assist consumers and health professionals select foods to be included in a healthful diet and lifestyle.
In 1894, the food composition tables and dietary standards for Americans were created by Dr. W.O. Atwater, the first director of the Office of Experiment Stations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While there was still much to be discovered in terms of diet and health, Atwater started the scientific basis for intake of various foods, dietary intake and health. He noted, "Unless care is exercised in selecting food, a diet may result which is one-sided or badly balanced," thus initiating the present-day themes of balance, variety and moderation. Food guides-frameworks to help people choose which foods to eat and in what quantities in order to achieve a healthful diet-did not appear in USDA publications until 1916. The person most frequently credited with creating the first guide is Caroline Hunt, a nutrition specialist in USDA's Bureau of Home Economics.
In the USDA guide, foods were divided into five categories: milk and meat; cereals; vegetables and fruits; fats and fat foods; and sugars and sugary foods. Her rationale for grouping these foods together was based on what was then known about nutrition science. How to Select Foods was the first daily food guide targeted to the general population (1917), followed in 1921 with one that was targeted to the average size family (which was five) and noted the amount of food to purchase each week. The Depression in the 1930s ushered in new guidelines responding to food and resource scarcity. A USDA food economist, Hazel Stiebeling, developed a guide to help families shop for food. It consisted of family food plans and included 12 major food groups. Stiebeling emphasized a balance between "protective" (nutrient-dense foods, including milk for calcium) and "high-energy" foods (including fats). Today, research continues for the development of guidelines that provide healthful eating advice at different cost levels.
Another major historical event that influenced food guides was World War II. The Basic Seven debuted in 1943 in the National Wartime Nutrition Guide and included green and yellow vegetables; oranges, tomatoes and grapefruit; potatoes, other vegetables and fruits; milk and dairy products; meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dried peas and beans; bread, flour and cereals; and butter and fortified margarine. To prepare for limited amounts of certain foods during the war, this guide focused on alternative food choices rather than number of servings per food group. The Basic Seven was used for many years, but the lack of specificity regarding serving sizes called for a revision.
Seven food groups were reduced to four when the USDA introduced the Basic Four in 1956. It was intended to meet only a portion of caloric needs for individuals, and it was assumed that people would eat more than what was recommended in order to be satisfied. There was also little information on fat and sugars intake or on appropriate caloric intake. The U.S. Senate issued Dietary Goals for the United States in 1977, and were a focus of controversy among nutrition and health professionals. Because diets to meet the Goals were so different from usual food patterns and a recommendation for protein was not apparent, the USDA did not adopt them. However, the Senate's report and dietary recommendations drew attention to the need for the federal government to take responsibility for providing dietary guidance to the public.
The USDA's Hassle-Free Guide replaced the Basic Four in 1979 and added to the foundation diet a fifth group-fats, sweets and alcohol. This food guide was distinct because it gave special attention to calories and dietary fiber, and highlighted the need to consume a moderate amount of fats, sugars and alcohol.
In order to provide authoritative and consistent dietary advice, the USDA teamed up with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1980 to issue the first edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines were based on the most up-to-date science available on diet and health, and have subsequently been updated in 1985, 1990 and 1995. Like all science, dietary guidance is evolutionary and new findings occur frequently. As we meet the 21st Century, we will be welcomed with a fifth edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And, we can be assured that future editions will reflect new science and benefits of a healthful and enjoyable diet.
