{"id":21663,"date":"2023-08-14T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/?p=21663"},"modified":"2023-07-26T10:21:36","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T14:21:36","slug":"what-have-the-u-s-dietary-guidelines-said-about-vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-a-look-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2023\/08\/14\/what-have-the-u-s-dietary-guidelines-said-about-vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-a-look-back\/","title":{"rendered":"What Have the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Said About Vegan and Vegetarian Diets? A Look Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD<\/p>\n

Every five years, starting in 1980, the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have issued Dietary Guidelines<\/em> for Americans<\/em>. Each edition of the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> provides the federal governments\u2019 recommendations for what Americans should eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. These recommendations have big effects on nutrition policy and federal programs. We\u2019ll be taking a close look at the process for developing Dietary Guidelines<\/em> and the ways that they are used in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

This post looks at the early days of the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> to see what they\u2019ve said about plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan diets.<\/p>\n

The first two<\/a> Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a> did not mention vegetarian or vegan diets. The third edition (1990)<\/a> recommended\u00a0 choosing a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products. This advice was expanded in 1995, when the Food Guide Pyramid, which illustrated the concept of plant foods as the foundation of healthful diets, was introduced along with the 1995 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vegetarian diets were mentioned for the first time in 1995 when the text of the Dietary Guidelines <\/em>said, \u201cVegetarian diets are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans <\/em>and can meet Recommended Dietary Allowances for nutrients.\u201d This statement was also included in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines. <\/em>In 1995, vegetarians were encouraged to pay special attention to sources of iron, zinc, and B vitamins; vegans were told to use vitamin B12 supplements and to ensure adequacy of vitamin D and calcium.\u00a0 There was an acknowledgement that \u201csome Americans eat vegetarian diets for reasons of culture, belief, or health\u201d but no attempt was made to promote vegetarian diets as a healthier choice.<\/p>\n

In 2000<\/a>, for the first time, calcium sources for those avoiding dairy products, were mentioned in the Dietary Guidelines<\/em>. Sources included soy-based beverages with added calcium, tofu (if made with calcium sulfate), and dark green leafy vegetables such as collards and turnip greens.<\/p>\n

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a> included a section on vegetarian diets that included explanations of different types of vegetarian diets, and described how vegetarians could select nuts, seeds, and legumes (and eggs if desired) from what was called the \u201cMeat and Beans Group.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2010<\/a> the text of the Dietary Guidelines <\/em>spoke positively about vegetarian diets, reporting that vegetarian eating patterns have been associated with lower rates of obesity, a reduction in blood pressure, and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. This edition of the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> included vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian versions of the USDA Food Patterns. For twelve calorie levels, ranging from 1000-3200 calories, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines<\/em> provided recommended servings from each food group for lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans. In addition, in 2010, the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> recommended making half your plate fruits and vegetables and included beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds in the list of \u201cprotein foods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA healthy vegetarian eating pattern\u201d was identified as \u201cone of three \u201chealthy eating patterns that can be adapted based on cultural and personal preferences\u201d in 2015. The \u201cHealthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern,\u201d as described by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a>, includes vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy or fortified soymilk (or other plant-based dairy substitutes), legumes including soy products, and nuts and seeds. The eating pattern was developed based on foods and amounts of foods eaten by self-described vegetarians in the United States based on a large national study.<\/p>\n

As it did in 2015, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines <\/em>endorses \u201ca healthy vegetarian dietary pattern.\u201d There are versions of this plan for ages 1 year and older. The text of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a> reminds vegetarians and others eating few animal products to consider use of a vitamin B12 supplement. This edition of the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> also encourages all Americans to eat more plant foods including dried beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.<\/p>\n

To read the Vegetarian Resource Group\u2019s comments that were submitted to the committees developing<\/p>\n

Dietary Guidelines<\/em> see:<\/p>\n

VRG Testimony on 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The Vegetarian Resource Group Sends in Testimony Concerning the 2020 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

VRG Submits Comments to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee<\/a><\/p>\n

The Vegetarian Resource Groups Comments on the Dietary Guidelines<\/em> Proposal (2015)<\/a><\/p>\n

VRG Testifies for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

VRG\u2019s Comments on USDA\u2019s Dietary Guidelines<\/em> 2010<\/a><\/p>\n

VRG Presents at Dietary Guidelines<\/em> Summit (1998)<\/a><\/p>\n

To read more about Dietary Guidelines<\/em> in the United States see:<\/p>\n

The Dietary Pattern in Dietary Guidelines for Americans <\/em>Could Easily Be Made Vegan and Nutritionally Adequate<\/a><\/p>\n

2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans<\/em> Released; Has Both Positive and Negative Features<\/a><\/p>\n

2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines<\/em> Released<\/a><\/p>\n

2010 Dietary Guidelines <\/em>Released<\/a><\/p>\n

To read more about Dietary Guidelines in other countries see:<\/p>\n

Do International Dietary Guidelines Promote Vegan\/Vegetarian Diets?<\/a><\/p>\n

Mexican 2023 Dietary Guidelines Recommend that 92% of our Plate Should be Plant Foods<\/a><\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Dietary Recommendations: Less Meat, More Plant Foods<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD Every five years, starting in 1980, the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have issued Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each edition of the Dietary Guidelines provides the federal governments\u2019 recommendations for what Americans should eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21663"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21665,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21663\/revisions\/21665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}