On January 7, 2016, the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released. How will you use this information to help your clients live healthy and balanced lives?

There are lots of resources that accompany the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Let’s take a closer look at what materials have been released so far…

The Guidelines: You can access the actual 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/.

There are 5 key guidelines, addressed over the course of 3 different chapters. Chapter 1 addresses elements of healthy eating patterns, and you can access it at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/. Chapter 2 covers the shifts needed to align with healthy eating patterns. It’s available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-2/. Chapter 3 discusses how everyone has a role in supporting healthy eating patterns. Read it for yourself at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-3/.

In addition to those 3 chapters, there is also an executive summary (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/executive-summary/) and an introduction (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/introduction/).

Did you know that this round of guidelines comes with 14 appendices? Of particular note are the sample eating patterns and physical activity guidelines. Explore these appendices at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendices/.

But wait, there’s more!

In addition to the guidelines and their appendices, there is also a fantastic question and answer section that covers an extensive range of topics. Access it at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/qanda.asp and don’t miss the closer look at the advisory committee itself.

There are more tools and resources coming soon, so be sure to check back at the page http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources.asp for the latest information.

And finally, if you’re looking for even more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, remember to visit https://foodandhealth.com, where our team is already researching and exploring this edition.