How to Read a Food Pyramid

MyPyramid suggests eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day. (See Reference 2)

A food guide pyramid is a tool created to help people choose a healthy diet.The most recent version of the USDA's food guide pyramid, called MyPyramid, was released in April of 2005. There are many important differences between this new food pyramid and the USDA's original food pyramid, which was first presented in 1992. The food groups in MyPyramid are vertical, rather than horizontal. Also, to encourage physical activity, MyPyramid includes an image of a stick figure walking up stairs. (See Reference 1)

The recommendations in MyPyramid can be the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with access to internet
• Printer (optional)

Instructions

1. Go to the My Pyramid website and download the pdf file which contains the MyPyramid food guide (see Resources). You can either view this PDF on your monitor or print it.

2. Recognize the six color-coordinated food groups represented on My Pyramid. Orange represents grains, green represents vegetables, red represents fruits, yellow represents oils, blue represents milk, and purple represents meats and beans. The size of a food group in the pyramid is directly proportional to the amount of food you should eat from that food group each day. Notice that the grains group is the largest and the oils group is the smallest. The many colors also serve as a reminder that you should eat a wide variety of foods.

3. Read the second page of the My Pyramid pdf. This page gives specific guidelines for how much food from each food group to eat each day. It also explains which kinds of foods to eat from each food group. For example, My Pyramid suggests eating 6 oz. of grains each day, and that at least 3 of those 6 oz. should come from whole grains.

4. 

   My Pyramid suggests 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity each day.

   Take note of the stick figure climbing stairs on the left side of the pyramid. This image represents the importance of physical activity. My Pyramid gives four different recommendations for amounts of physical activity: the amount of minimum physical activity, the amount needed to prevent weight gain, the amount needed for weight loss, and the minimum amount for children and teenagers.

Tips & Warnings

• The My Pyramid recommendations are based on a 2,000-calorie diet and are not right for everyone. For a personalized diet plan, visit My Pyramid and click "Get a personalized Plan."

References

• USDA: My Pyramid
• Medline Plus: Food Guide Pyramid
• Girls Health: Nutrition: The My Pyramid Food Guide

Resources

• "New York Times": U.S. Introduces a Revised Food Pyramid
• USDA: My Pyramid: Steps to a Healthier You