Putting the Pyramid Into Action
The food pyramid is a familiar icon to most Americans. First introduced by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1992, the pyramid was built of blocks, each representing a basic food group. The pyramid shape indicated the relative amounts of each type of food that should be eaten daily for a healthy, balanced diet. The broad base consisted of bread, cereals, pasta, and rice; the next step up was fruits and vegetables; followed by narrower bands representing dairy, and protein-rich foods (meat, poultry, eggs, fish); and topped by a narrow triangle on top representing the minimal use of fats, oils, and sweets.
In late April 2005, the USDA released a newly designed version of the food pyramid based on the key recommendations of the government’s updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Known as MyPyramid: Steps to a Healthier You , the symbol sports vertical bands of color that grow narrower toward the pyramid’s apex, and a set of stairs with a figure climbing up the side.
At first glance—stripes? stairs?—it is not clear what this pyramid is meant to show, and there are no words or pictures to explain. But the value of the symbol, like that of a real pyramid, actually lies on the inside. Trying to express nutrition guidelines in an easy-to-use format is a daunting task. So, along with the symbol, the government has set up an interactive website containing a wealth of information, including explanations of food groups, common foods in each group, detailed guidelines for good nutrition, and personalized tools for tracking eating and exercise habits. All of this can be found at MyPyramid .
At its most basic, the MyPyramid symbol is designed to remind people of the important relationship between food intake and exercise. Each colored stripe represents a different food group:
Stripe Color | Food Group |
---|---|
Orange | Grains |
Green | Vegetables |
Red | Fruits |
Yellow | Oils and Fats |
Blue | Milk |
Purple | Meat & Bean |
A healthy, balanced diet consists of eating a variety of foods, in differing amounts depending upon your situation and age. The figure climbing the outside of the pyramid is a reminder that your diet and health are also influenced by how much exercise you get.
Less obviously, the bands also reflect several facets of healthy living that were not included in the old pyramid:
On the main page of the MyPyramid website, click on the link Inside the Pyramid . Here, deeper in the Pyramid, you will find detailed information about the different food groups, including guidelines on how to measure the amount of each type of food to eat.
For example, by digging into the orange (grains) band, you learn that there are two subgroups of grains:
Adult men and women should eat approximately 5-8 one-ounce servings of grains per day, depending upon age and activity level. Half of all the grains you eat should be whole grains. A one-ounce serving is equivalent to one slice of bread, one cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or one half cup of rice or pasta.
No matter what your age or activity level, MyPyramid recommends:
Is the new striped pyramid an improvement over the last? It is still too early to tell. What is certain, however, is that the related website provides more detailed and precise information than was available with the earlier version. In fact, the most useful part of MyPyramid may very well be the links in the website that allow you to apply the new nutritional guidelines to your personal situation.
For example:
Stripes? Stairs? Website and links? Yes, MyPyramid has all that and more. The new food pyramid requires more effort to use and understand than the old one did, but with a bit of work, you should find a much greater reward.
RESOURCES:
Healthier US.gov
http://www.healthierus.gov/
MyPyramid
US Department of Agriculture
http://www.MyPyramid.gov
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canada's Food Guide
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/f
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca/
References:
Burros M. US introduces a revised food pyramid. The New York Times. April 20, 2005.
Kuehn BM. Experts charge new US dietary guidelines pose daunting challenge for the public. JAMA. 2005;293:918-920.
Munoz SS. The food pyramid gets personalized. The Wall Street Journal. April 20, 2005.
MyPyramid. US Department of Agriculture. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. MyPyramid website. Available at: http://www.MyPyramid.gov . Accessed June 2005.
Severson K. Ideas and trends: the government’s pyramid scheme. The New York Times. April 24, 2005;4:14.
Last reviewed April 2009 by Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RD
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