Over the years, the USDA has compiled a large number of informational food guides to advise people on everything from counting calories to managing diabetes. While some of the advice remains with us today, other tips have been superseded by new discoveries and better nutrition knowledge.

Here are some interesting tips from past USDA food guides:

• In the 1940s, food portion sizes were measured using a yardstick rather than the cups or ounces that we use today.
• In the 1960s, the USDA recommended that people eat the same amount of grains as they did fruits and vegetables. Today, we know that we should limit the amount of grains we consume, in favor of eating more fruits and veggies.
• Many of the USDA’s food guide tips developed in the 1980s are still in use today, such as limiting sodium intake, drinking alcohol in moderation and avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol.

Too see more past food guides from the USDA, click here.

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Fat and sugar are best enjoyed in moderation, but they're found in so many food that it can be very hard to avoid them.

If you want to take control of your diet, these simple tips from the NIH website can help you reduce the amount of fat and sugar your eat:

• Just because a food is low-fat or fat-free doesn’t mean it’s also low in calories. Those foods can have a large amount of sugar, causing them to also have a large number of calories.
• Many people don’t consider the added sugar in beverages like soda or juice, but these can also cause you to gain weight. Some studies show that people who cut these sugary drinks out of their diets noticed significantly reduced weight gain.
• Sugars found naturally in foods like fruit or milk are beneficial to your body, and fresh fruit can make a healthy alternative to other sugary snacks.

You can find more tips about managing your fat and sugar intake on the NIH's website.

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