The food pyramid is a guide created by the United States Department of Agriculture to help you determine how much of a particular food you should consume in a day. The pyramid has evolved over the years, completing its most recent transformation in 2005. While the pyramid still includes the same food groups as before, its appearance has morphed into a color-coded diagram, with each color representing a different food group. Additionally, the pyramid no longer relies on servings within each group, but now focuses on how many ounces of each food you should consume in a day. Remember, though, that there are separate sets of guidelines for adolescents and children.
Grains
According to the USDA, grains should make up most of the food you eat in a day. The USDA recommends eating at least 3 oz. of grains, and that at least half of that should be whole grains. Whole grains include the bran and germ, while refined grains do not; as a result, refined grains have less fiber and iron and fewer B vitamins than whole grains. Foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta and crackers fall into the grains category.
Vegetables
The USDA classifies vegetables into five different groups: dark green vegetables, including broccoli, kale, spinach and watercress; orange vegetables, including squash, carrots and pumpkin; dry beans and peas, including black beans, chickpeas, lentils, soy beans and kidney beans; starchy vegetables, including corn, green peas and potatoes; and other vegetables, which includes tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, beets and celery. The USDA recommends consuming at least 2½ cups of vegetables every day.
Fruits
The USDA recommends you eat at least 1½ cups of fruit every day. The most common fruits include apples, berries, cherries, melons, citrus fruit and grapes. Whether they are fresh, canned, frozen or dried, they will still deliver nutritious content. Make sure, though, if you are eating canned or dried fruits, that you are avoiding those packaged with syrups or sugars as well as other preservatives. You can also consume fruit juice to help get your recommended daily amount, but be sure it is 100 percent juice and not made from concentrate.
Milk
The milk group includes dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, but does not include items such as cream cheese, butter and cream. The difference comes down to calcium: the USDA classifies products that maintain their calcium content as milk products; cream cheese, butter and cream, on the other hand, lose their calcium content during processing and thus do not belong in the milk grouping. The USDA suggests filling in your daily milk requirements with low-fat or fat-free dairy items and recommends at least 3 cups of milk product every day.
Meat and Beans
The meat and beans category includes lean cuts of red meat, poultry, egg and fish as well as nuts, seeds and other legumes and dry beans and peas. According to the USDA, beans appear twice in the food pyramid because their classification varies based on your diet; if you regularly eat meat, you should classify beans as a vegetable, but if you don't usually eat meat, then it becomes part of the meat and beans group. You should consume at least 5 oz. of meat and beans each day.
Oils
Oils is the category that replaces "Fats" on the old food pyramid, though the contents of the category are the same. Focus on consuming healthy fats from fish, nuts and vegetable and olive oils and limit solid fats -- so named because they remain solid at room temperature -- such as shortening, margarine, butter and lard. According to the USDA, you should consume approximately 5 tsp. of oils per day.
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