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Climbing to the Top of the Food Pyramid

If you've seen the new food pyramid, you may wonder why it changed. After all, what was wrong with the old food pyramid? Is everything they told us about healthy nutrition no longer true?

The good news is that experts say the new food guidelines are quite similar to the old guidelines. The graphic changes in the food pyramid are more specific and clearly represent what the guidelines actually say.

Editor's Note: Food Pyramid Replaced

In June 2011, the USDA replaced the food pyramid with a new plate icon.

Eating by the Rainbow

The changes in the new food pyramid include brightly colored vertical stripes. Each stripe represents one of six food groups:

Grains (orange -- and the widest stripe)
Vegetables (green)
Fruits (red)
Oils (yellow -- and the thinnest stripe)
Milk -- including most foods made from milk (blue)
Meat and beans (purple).

The food pyramid's stripes are also wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. This conveys the idea that not all foods within that group are of the same value. For instance, chicken and beef might fall within the same group. But chicken and beef have different nutritional values -- and calories.

Don't Be Confused: Give It Time

You may have visited www.mypyramid.gov to review the new food guide pyramid. Perhaps you were overwhelmed by the guidelines. Maybe you felt that making the best food choices was easier said than done.

Give it time! By making a few healthier food choices each week, you can slowly work your way closer to the top of the food pyramid. This means eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meat, and beans. It also means eating less refined grains, whole milk, cheese, hamburgers, and soda. Think baby steps!

The Food Pyramid: Your Take-Away Message

Along with touting the best food choices, the new food pyramid also gives the benefits of exercise -- complete with a figure running up the side over a set of steps. This figure is there to remind us that healthy eating and physical activity are inseparable -- both are necessary for optimal health, disease prevention, and weight management.

Exercise can be working out at the gym, using a pedometer to track the number of steps you walk, or incorporating physical activity throughout your day. For instance, getting off the bus two blocks before your stop, taking the stairs for a few flights, and walking to the store from the farthest parking spot in the lot all constitute exercise. Even routine chores like mopping, vacuuming, gardening, and pulling weeds are easy ways to exercise and be active.

The new food pyramid gives another new message: No single eating plan is right for all people. Not everyone needs the same amount of food. Men, women, and children have different food requirements as do people who are overweight or underweight.

To help figure out which pyramid has your name on it, go to www.mypyramidtracker.gov. At this web site, you can enter your age, weight, gender, and activity level to find out what you need to eat. You can assess your diet and exercise and track your food intake at this site.

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