There is so much conflicting information about nutrition that it might be difficult for you to know what you should eat every day, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are several nutrition guides available from the USDA -- Dietary Guidelines, MyPryamid and the Food Guide Pyramid -- to help you make daily healthy choices based on your age, weight and physical activity level. However, unless you are personally familiar with these tools, navigating the abundance of information could be a challenge.
Breaking Down the USDA "Pyramids"
Although not currently promoted by the USDA, the Food Guide Pyramid was created in 1992 based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It became a symbol of a healthy diet. The purpose of the pyramid was to suggest types and amounts of foods you should eat based on your age and gender. When the 2005 Dietary Guidelines were released with updated information, the MyPyramid was born. This is a customizable and interactive tool that you can input data such as your age, gender, weight and activity level to get personalized information about what you should eat daily.
MyPyramid as a Nutrition Guide
The color swaths of the MyPyramid are a visual cue for what foods you should eat more of and foods you should eat in smaller amounts daily. Unlike the Food Guide Pyramid, which has foods that you should eat more of at the base of the pyramid and foods you should eat less often at the apex and suggested daily servings, MyPyramid shows you through band widths how much food you should choose from each group. There is no text. Only color stripes that include orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, blue for milk, purple for meat and beans and a tiny band of yellow for fats.
TIps
Focus on key recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines to get all of the important nutrients in your daily diet, according to dietitians from the American Dietetic Association. Make at least half your grain servings whole grains. Whole grains include oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Eat 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily, mostly dark-green, red and orange vegetables, including beans and peas. Consume 2 cups of fresh, frozen or canned fruit. The most nutritious fruit is fresh, but you can eat fruit that is packaged in juice or light syrup. Milk products are important for your diet for calcium, vitamin D, protein and potassium. Choose low-fat or fat free milk, yogurt and cheese or fortified soy beverages; you need at least 3 cups a day. Twenty to 30 percent of your calories should come from healthy fats such as liquid vegetable oils like canola, olive, corn, peanut and soybean; and plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds, olives and avocados.
Warning
For a healthy and nutritious diet, avoid foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, refined grains and sodium. If you eat more than what is recommended on the Nutrition Facts label you are consuming double or triple the fat, added sugar and calories. The Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and the Dietary Guidelines can help you determine what a serving size is and help you control portions.
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