Tag: Usda food guidelines

In 1916, nutritionist Caroline Hunt published the USDA's first official food guide, focusing initially on young children. The 1916 Food Guide categorized foods into five groups to provide a foundational approach to healthy eating, setting a precedent for over a century of American dietary recommendations.

Before the well-known food pyramid, American nutrition was guided by simpler, more streamlined recommendations. The question, "what did the food pyramid look like in the 1950s," actually points to a different system entirely: the Basic Four food groups, a cornerstone of post-war dietary advice.

The USDA's 'Basic Four' food guide, introduced in 1956, remained the standard for American nutrition throughout the 1970s, featuring milk, meat, fruits and vegetables, and grain products. These guidelines, which defined what are the 4 food groups 1970, aimed to simplify earlier, more complex dietary advice.