Fish Consumption Focus Group

Dietary Guidelines
for Americans
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
www.dietaryguidelines.gov

Key Recommendations
Individuals should meet the following
recommendations as part of a healthy eating
pattern and while staying within their calorie
needs.
Increase vegetable and fruit intake.
Eat a variety of vegetables, especially darkgreen and red and orange vegetables and
beans and peas.
Consume at least half of all grains as whole
grains. Increase whole-grain intake by
replacing refined grains with whole grains.
Increase intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and
milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese,
or fortified soy beverages.58
Choose a variety of protein foods, which
include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs,
beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted
nuts and seeds.
Increase the amount and variety of seafood
consumed by choosing seafood in place of
some meat and poultry.
Replace protein foods that are higher in solid
fats with choices that are lower in solid fats
and calories and/or are sources of oils.
Use oils to replace solid fats where possible.
Choose foods that provide more potassium,
dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which
are nutrients of concern in American diets.
These foods include vegetables, fruits, whole
grains, and milk and milk products.

Recommendations for Specific
Population Groups
Women capable of becoming pregnant59
Choose foods that supply heme iron,
which is more readily absorbed by the body,
additional iron sources, and enhancers
of iron absorption such as vitamin
C-rich foods.
Consume 400 micrograms (mcg) per day
of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods
and/or supplements) in addition to food
forms of folate from a varied diet.60
Women who are pregnant or
breastfeeding59
Consume 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per

week from a variety of seafood types.

Due to their methyl mercury content,

limit white (albacore) tuna to 6 ounces per

week and do not eat the following four types

of fish: tilefish, shark, swordfish,

and king mackerel.

If pregnant, take an iron supplement as

recommended by an obstetrician or other

health care provider.

Individuals ages 50 years and older
Consume foods fortified with vitamin
B12, such as fortified cereals, or dietary
supplements.

58. Fortified soy beverages have been marketed as “soymilk,” a product name consumers could see in supermarkets and consumer materials. However,
FDA’s regulations do not contain provisions for the use of the term soymilk. Therefore, in this document, the term “fortified soy beverage” includes products
that may be marketed as soymilk.
59. Includes adolescent girls.
60. “Folic acid” is the synthetic form of the nutrient, whereas “folate” is the form found naturally in foods.

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS, 2010 | Chapter Four

34

addition, individuals should choose unsalted nuts
and seeds to help reduce sodium intake. Beans and
peas, as discussed previously under Vegetables and
fruits, confer health benefits as sources of important
nutrients such as dietary fiber.
In recent years,
moderate evidence
for More inforMation
has emerged about
See chapter 5 for examples
of how a variety of protein
the health benefits of
foods can be incorporated
consuming seafood.
into eating patterns that
Therefore, the
can confer health benefits.
Dietary Guidelines
for Americans, 2010
includes a new quantitative recommendation for
seafood intake. An intake of 8 or more ounces per
week (less for young children), about 20% of total
recommended intake of protein foods of a variety of
seafood is recommended.67 Additional information
about seafood and the recommendations follows.
Seafood
Mean intake of seafood in the United States is
approximately 3 1/2 ounces per week, and increased
intake is recommended. Seafood contributes a
range of nutrients, notably the omega-3 fatty acids,
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA). Moderate evidence shows that consumption of about 8 ounces68 per week of a variety
of seafood, which provide an average consumption
of 250 mg per day of EPA and DHA, is associated
with reduced cardiac deaths among individuals with and without pre-existing cardiovascular
disease. Thus, this recommendation contributes to
the prevention of heart disease. The recommendation is to consume seafood for the total package of
benefits that seafood provides, including its EPA
and DHA content.
Seafood choices can include those with higher and
lower amounts of EPA and DHA, but, some choices
with higher amounts should be included. Smaller
amounts of seafood are recommended for children. (See Chapter 5 for specific information and
recommendations.)
Moderate, consistent evidence shows that the
health benefits from consuming a variety of seafood
in the amounts recommended outweigh the health
risks associated with methyl mercury, a heavy
metal found in seafood in varying levels.69 Benefits

are maximized with seafood higher in EPA and DHA
but lower in methyl mercury. In addition, eating a
variety of seafood, as opposed to just a few choices,
is likely to reduce the amount of methyl mercury
consumed from any one seafood type. Individuals
who regularly consume more than the recommended amounts of seafood should choose a mix
of seafood that emphasizes choices relatively low in
methyl mercury. Appendix 11 lists common seafood
varieties with the EPA+DHA and mercury content
in a 4-ounce cooked portion. A total of 1,750 mg
per week of EPA+DHA provides an average of
250 mg per day of these omega-3 fatty acids.
Seafood varieties that are commonly consumed in
the United States that are higher in EPA and DHA
and lower in mercury include salmon, anchovies,
herring, sardines, Pacific oysters, trout, and Atlantic
and Pacific mackerel (not king mackerel, which is
high in mercury).
In addition to the health benefits for the general public, the nutritional value of seafood is of
particular importance during fetal growth and
development, as well as in early infancy and childhood. Moderate evidence indicates that intake of
omega-3 fatty acids, in particular DHA, from at
least 8 ounces of seafood per week for women who
are pregnant or breastfeeding is associated with
improved infant health outcomes, such as visual
and cognitive development. Therefore, it is recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume at least 8 and up to 12 ounces68 of
a variety of seafood per week, from choices that are
lower in methyl mercury. Obstetricians and pediatricians should provide guidance to women who
are pregnant or breastfeeding to help them make
healthy food choices that include seafood.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should
not eat four types of fish because they are high in
methyl mercury. These are tilefish, shark, swordfish,
and king mackerel (Appendix 11). Women who are
pregnant or breastfeeding can eat all types of tuna,
including white (albacore) and light canned tuna,
but should limit white tuna to 6 ounces per week
because it is higher in methyl mercury.
oils
Fats with a high percentage of monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room
temperature and are referred to as “oils” (see Figure

67. Protein foods recommendations for people who consume a vegetarian diet are described in Chapter 5.
68. Cooked, edible portion.
69. State and local advisories provide information to guide consumers who eat fish caught from local waters. This information can be found at www.epa.
gov/fishadvisories. Accessed July 11, 2010.

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DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS, 2010 | Chapter Four