Puerto Rican Guidelines on Food and Diet Quality

Abstract

Puerto Rico, an island located in the northeastern Caribbean, is a commonwealth and a territory of the United States (USA). Puerto Ricans’ dietary guidelines, especially for federal nutrition-food programs, are mainly based on adaptations from the USA. Some of the US dietary guidelines that have been adapted for Puerto Ricans are the Puerto Rican Food Guide Pyramid, the Puerto Rican Food Guide Pyramid for Children, and the recent Myplate for Puerto Ricans and US Dietary Guidelines 2010. However, there are some island-based guidelines and initiatives directed for promoting diet quality, independently of the USA, managed mainly by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.