Dietary recommendations by decade

Here's how the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans have changed over the past 20 years:

1980
• Eat a variety of foods
• Maintain ideal weight
• Avoid too much fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
• Eat foods with adequate starch and fiber
• Avoid too much sugar
• Avoid too much sodium
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation

1990
• Eat a variety of foods
• Maintain healthy weight
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
• Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit and grain products
• Use sugars only in moderation
• Use salt and sodium only in moderation
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation

2000
• Aim for a healthy weight
• Be physically active each day
• Let the pyramid guide your food choices
• Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains
• Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
• Keep food safe to eat
• Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat
• Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars
• Choose and prepare foods with less salt
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation