The Average U.S. Diet

The average American's diet is full of processed foods, added sugars, fatty meats and refined carbohydrates. The diet has increased in calories while exercise has decreased, which has led to an increase in obesity rates and diabetes.

Fats and Sugars

• Added fats and sugars are recommended to be used sparingly. The average U.S. diet is estimated to obtain 37 percent of its calories from fat. The average consumption of sugar is 22 tsp. a day per person, which equals about 355 calories.

Refined Grains and Meat

• Americans eat too much red meat and refined grains within the diet rather than whole grains. In 2000, the USDA estimated that Americans consumed more than 200 pounds of grain products per person. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition estimates that Americans consume more than 270 pounds of meat a year.

USDA's Food Pyramid Diet Recommendation

• The United States Department of Agriculture recommends six to 11 servings of grains, three to five servings of vegetables, two to four servings of fruit, two to three servings of dairy and five to seven oz. of meat. Fat and added sugars should be used sparingly.