Many people want to eat healthier, but aren't quite sure how to go about doing this. One way to get a better idea of what constitutes a healthy diet is to look at tools like the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid or the Harvard School of Public Health's Healthy Eating Pyramid. Both offer insight into healthy eating, although they don't offer exactly the same advice.
Food Guide Pyramid
MyPyramid, the latest version of the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid, has vertical stripes in 6 different colors, representing grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk and meat and beans. They are wider at the bottom to show that some foods are better than others in each group. The stripes are also wider for the groups from which you should eat more, and narrower for the groups from which you are only supposed to eat a small amount. A person is climbing steps up the side of the pyramid to emphasize the need for exercise. You can use MyPyramid for personalized advice on how much to eat from each of the different food groups based on your height, weight, sex, age and activity level. Recommended intakes for each group are listed in common measurements, such as cups and ounces, rather than servings.
Healthy Eating Pyramid
The Healthy Eating Pyramid consists of a base symbolizing exercise and weight control, then four rows of different sized blocks showing the proportions of different types of food you should consume in your diet. Fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and oils, and whole grains are in the first row. The next smaller row consists of blocks for fish, poultry and eggs and nuts, seeds, beans and tofu. Next comes a block for dairy and tofu or vitamin D and calcium supplements. At the top, separated by a slight gap, is the "use sparingly" block, consisting of salt, sugary drinks and sweets, potatoes, refined grains, red and processed meats and butter.
Differences
The Healthy Eating Pyramid divides up the healthier options from the less healthy options and puts them in separate blocks, making it more obvious which are the better choices from each type of food. It also recommends a multivitamin with extra vitamin D for most people, and an optional amount of alcohol per day, but not for everyone. Unlike MyPyramid, the Healthy Eating Pyramid doesn't recommend specific amounts of food from each food group.
Considerations
Both of these pyramids offer helpful dietary advice. Which one you follow depends on your preferences. For people who want specific recommendations for amounts, or want something tailored just for them, MyPyramid may be the better option as long as you are willing to go on the Internet. The actual print diagram doesn't give any detail and isn't very useful without the explanatory handouts. However, if you are not sure which foods are healthier and which to choose less often, the Healthy Eating Pyramid is more detailed in this area.
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