The USDA has revamped their diet guidelines in the form of a pyramid of many colors. Their visual aid is intended to provide information on how to create a healthy diet and lifestyle which includes regular exercise. Their general recommendations suggest personalizing their advice in order to accommodate individual conditions and circumstances. The MyPyramid does not apply to children under the age of two, or to specific health conditions which require a specialized diet.
How to Read the Pyramid
When viewing the pyramid from left to right, the first thing to notice is a stick figure climbing a set of stairs. The pyramid is then segmented in unequally proportioned colored triangles in order to denote the amount a particular type of food should be incorporated per day. Many people have a hard time recognizing which foods are represented by particular colors. For instance, purple refers to protein. In comparison, the FDA’s previous food pyramid offered clip art shapes of particular foods within a triangle section, which most people found easier to read.
Guidelines Have Been Updated
Besides changing the look of MyPyramid, the FDA has also changed their dietary recommendations. Grains which used to be recommended to have five to eleven servings per day, now have a smaller fraction of the pyramid. It also is recommended that at least half of all servings be whole grain. Many other guidelines have also been modified or clarified.
- Physical Activity:All diets should be balanced according to physical activity levels. Adults need 30 minutes of exercise per day, while children and teens should be active at least 60 minutes daily.
- Orange Section: Aim for at least half of all grain based foods to be whole grain. Whole grain choices can be from bread, cereal, crackers, or rice. Many pastas, crackers, and chips have whole grain options made from whole wheat, brown rice, oats, or spelt. Many whole grain flour varieties are also easy to find and can be used to replace refined white flour in recipes.
- Green Section:A wide variety of fresh vegetables are recommended with a higher representation of green and orange veggies. Dried beans and peas also should be incorporated regularly.
- Red Section:Focus on including a wide variety of fruits. Fruit juice consumption should be limited.
- Yellow Section:Fats from sources of fish, nuts and vegetable oils are healthy choices, while saturated, solid fats should be used only in moderation.
- Blue Section: Look for low fat or fat free milk. Lactose free is fine if there are allergies to lactose. Other calcium rich sources should also be included.
- Purple Section:Protein sources such as meat, fish, and beans are recommended. Meat choices should be lean cuts. Other sources such as nuts, beans, peas and seeds should also be consumed.
As recommended by the FDA and most holistic nutritionists, many of the FDA's dietary recommendations should be evaluated on a personal level. Some people will require more of particular foods and less of others, depending on their activity levels, metabolism, age, gender, body type, allergies, disease, etc. A one size fits all diet is not a healthy approach to nutrition. Bioindividuality should always be accounted for, which the FDA recognizes and clearly represents within their new guidelines.
*Interactive resources can be found on the USDA MyPyramid web site for more personalized recommendations for daily calorie intake based on age, gender and physical activity.
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