The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is an important blueprint for public policy that affects the health of our children and of our nation.
The dietary guidelines provide the foundation for children’s learning about nutrition and what constitutes “good food.” They also inform the nutrition standards for the national school meals program, which impacts 30.7 million children a day in schools and childcare settings, including 21.5 million children on free or reduced price meals and living in households that earn 185 percent or less of the federal poverty level.
For the first time ever, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has put forth recommendations on sustainable agriculture and drinking water for which communities have long advocated.
We have a critical window of time – before May 8 – to provide comments on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Show your support today.
Relevant Sections
Before submitting your comments online, you will be prompted to select applicable topics from a checklist. Please check the boxes for the following two topics:
-
Chapter D.4: Food Environment and Settings
-
Chapter D.5: Food Sustainability and Safety
Sample Comment
I am writing to express my support for the recommendations of the 2015 Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Committee calling for the inclusion of sustainable agriculture for plant and animal-based food production, and the establishment of healthy food environments that make water the preferred beverage choice and readily available in school, childcare and other public settings. Both are paramount to improving the health of our children and of our nation.
Tell Our National Leaders: “Healthy Food Comes From a Sustainable Food System!” See link for more sample language or write your own comments.
Click here to submit your comments by midnight on May 8, 2015.
