Toward a New Definition of “Healthy” Food: Issues and Challenges

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have become increasingly food-based guidelines. The Healthy United States–Style Eating Pattern features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, with limits placed on added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. Recent measures of nutrient density have followed suit, incorporating both nutrients and food groups. Most recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to redefine the concept of a “healthy” food for regulatory purposes. To qualify as healthy, foods will need to contain specific minimum amounts of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains, with limits placed on added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. The present concern was that the proposed criteria, formulated by the FDA per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed, were so stringent that few foods would pass. We applied the proposed FDA criteria to foods in the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS 2017–2018). The criteria were met by 58% of fruits, 35% of vegetables, 8% of milk and dairy products, and 4% of grain products. Many foods commonly considered to be healthy by consumers and the USDA alike did not pass the proposed FDA criteria. Federal agencies seem to define healthy in different ways. Our findings have implications for the formulation of regulatory and public health policies. We recommend that nutrition scientists be involved in the development of federal regulations and policies that affect American consumers and the food industry.