Government Food Pyramid Guide

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food guide pyramid was constructed to help you select the best foods and amounts of foods for overall health. The food guide pyramid provides suggestions on what you should eat, how much you should eat and what you should avoid. In addition to a focus on diet, the food guide pyramid also emphasizes the importance of exercise.

History

The U.S. government developed the Dietary Goals for Americans in 1977 in an effort to improve the quality of the American diet and reduce chronic disorders related to poor nutrition. The Dietary Goals for Americans are updated every five years and provide dietary and physical recommendations for good health. The USDA developed the food guide pyramid to provide a visual tool for the Dietary Goals for Americans. In 2005, MyPyramid, which is an updated version of the original food guide pyramid, was developed.

Food Groups

The food guide pyramid separates foods into six major categories: grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and beans and oil. Each color of the pyramid represents a different food group. The grains group, which is orange, consists of any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or other cereal grain. Grains are further divided into whole grains and refined grains. The fruit group, which is red, includes any whole fruits or juices made from 100 percent fruit juice. The vegetable group, which is green, includes any whole vegetables or juices made from 100 percent vegetable juice. The milk group, which is blue, includes milk and dairy products made from milk. The purple meat and beans group consists of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and dry beans and peas. The oil group, which is yellow, consists of fats that are liquid at room temperature, such as canola oil, olive oil and soybean oil, as well as foods that are high in oils, such as mayonnaise, avocado and nuts.

Focus on Moderation

The pyramid shape of the food guide pyramid is intended to emphasize moderation and portion control. The base of the pyramid serves as a reminder that the diet should consist mainly of nutrient-dense foods without added sugars. As you reach the top of the pyramid, the area becomes smaller. This is meant to demonstrate that sugary foods and solid fats should constitute only a small portion of your diet. The width of the bands on the food guide pyramid demonstrate how much of each food group you should be consuming. The grains group should make up most of your diet, and thus the band is the widest. The oil group is the smallest part of your diet and the smallest band as well.

Physical Activity

The food guide pyramid also depicts a figure walking up a set of stairs that lead to the top of the pyramid. This figure is intended to demonstrate the importance of getting some physical exercise on a daily basis.

Personalized Pyramid

The USDA hosts a website called MyPyramid.gov. On this website, you can structure a personalized food pyramid based on age, sex, height and weight. You can also select your physical activity level as less than 30 minutes, 30 to 60 minutes or more than 60 minutes.