Food Pyramid For Kids & Adults

Personalized food pyramids for kids and adults replaced the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid and Food Pyramid for Kids in 2005. The MyPyramid plans allow anyone above age 9 to find out how much of each food group they should eat daily by entering their age, gender, height, weight and activity level into a USDA website form. Recommendations for 2- to 8-year-olds are based on average heights and weights for each age and gender.

Significance

Personalized food pyramids for kids and adults are significant because individuals have different daily calorie needs that depend on their gender, size and activity level. Young children, for example, need about 1,600 calories daily, active adult women need about 2,000 and active adolescent boys and young men need about 2,400, according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. However, the Food Guide Pyramid and the Food Pyramid For Kids had the same recommendations for all adults and all kids, respectively.

Guidelines

The personalized MyPyramid plans use the Food Guide Pyramid, the USDA's recommendation from 1992 to 2005, as the foundation of its advice. The Food Guide Pyramid urged adults to eat 6 to 11 servings of the Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta Group daily plus 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, 2 to 4 servings of fruits, and 2 to 3 servings of the Milk, Yogurt & Cheese Group and the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group. The Food Pyramid for Kids recommended the lower amount of servings.

Males

A 35-year-old man who is 6 feet 2 inches and 190 lbs. should eat 3,000 calories daily if he exercises 30 to 60 minutes daily, including 10 oz. of grains, 4 cups of vegetables, 2.5 cups of fruits, 3 cups of milk and 7 oz. of meat and beans, the MyPyramid Plan reports. Older and/or smaller men should eat less. A 10-year-old boy who is 4 feet 6 inches and 80 lbs. should eat 2,000 calories daily, including 6 oz. of grains, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruits, 3 cups of milk and 5.5 oz. of meat and beans.

Females

A 60-year-old woman who is 5 feet 4 inches and 140 lbs. should eat 1,800 calories daily if she doesn't exercise much, including 6 oz. of grains, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 1.5 cups of fruits, 3 cups of milk and 5 oz. of meat and beans. Overweight people are given the option of a "healthier weight" plan. A 5-year-old girl of "average" height and weight should eat 1,200 calories daily, including 4 oz. of grains, 1.5 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of fruits, 2 cups of milk and 3 oz. of meats and beans.

Expert Advice

The MyPyramid food pyramid is supplemented by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's advice on how kids and adults can comply with the pyramid's recommendations. "Be a Healthy Role Model for Children" gives parents 10 tips, including teaching your children about nutrition while you shop together, rewarding children with attention instead of food, eating healthy food in front of your children instead of lecturing them, exercising with them and not forcing them to eat.