What Parents Should Know About the New USDA Dietary Guidelines

By: Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D

New USDA Dietary Guidelines have important recommendations including ‘no added sugar before 2 years old’ and ‘early allergen introduction by 4 months’.

Following USDA guidelines, Allergist Katie Marks-Cogan MD recommends introducing food allergens to your baby’s diet as early as 4 months old. (Photo source: iStock)

In this article, I will talk about the new USDA Dietary Guidelines and key takeaways for parents and doctors. Including the following:

• Important new recommendations for children under 2 years of age
• How new landmark clinical trials on food allergy prevention support the new USDA Dietary guidelines to recommend early allergen introduction to help prevent food allergies
• New guidelines on added sugar for infants and children based on the strong link between added sugar intake and obesity

So, let’s dive into it

What are the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) just published the new 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Report. It is the ninth edition of the national nutrition and health guidelines. All of its recommendations are backed by evidence and research.

Millions of Americans already use the USDA guidelines to help them make decisions about nutrition and diet…