OHIO — Every five years, the United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services develop these guidelines.

The guidelines provide advice as to what Americans should eat in order to live a healthy lifestyle.

“The government as you mentioned, USDA and Health and Human Services rewrite these every five years and it’s to give policymakers as well as you and I as consumers some idea of what you should eat; what the average healthy American should be eating for a healthy lifestyle,” agriculture expert Andy Vance said.

These guidelines may be used by government agencies to decide what children in schools should be eating. They are also used to shape policy programs such as the Women Infants and Children program among others.

There are differing opinions as to what is considered healthy.

“That’s where it gets hairy; is determining who gets to say what is healthy and what or not - what evidence, what science are we basing those decisions on. And that’s where you have some very different opinions and very different interpretations of the date in assembling these recommendations,” Vance said.

The current guidelines will be updated in 2025.