In 1984, the USDA released its first public recommendations for healthy eating. It wasn't until 1992 that the first illustration of the concept of a food pyramid was brought to life. The food pyramid was an attempt to better educate the public through graphics, pictures and text on what healthy eating might look like. Today, the pyramid has evolved to better address the health concerns of the American public.
The Food Pyramid
The food pyramid is designed to help you better understand what you should eat everyday. It's shape is no accident. The old food pyramid used its shape to represent the amount of each group you should include in your diet. The bottom and middle of the pyramid, the largest part of the pyramid, represents the largest part of your diet. The top and smallest part of the pyramid, represents the nutrients that should be eaten conservatively. The new food pyramid still uses a pyramid shape, but instead uses the pyramid to represent the importance of physical activity. This new pyramid depicts a person walking up stairs to the top of the pyramid, depicting regular exercise.
Foods To Emphasize
Food groups are given a color, the thicker the band of color, the more emphasis you need to place on these foods. Carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and dairy should all be a large part of your diet. You should be getting between six and 11 servings of grains, with at least half of them as whole. You also need to get between two and three servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Dairy recommendations are three servings per day, but choose dairy that limits fat.
Foods to Limit
Foods that make up a smaller part of your intake are meats, fats and sweets. For protein, the requirements are five ounces per day of meat, legumes, nuts or fish. You also need to limit your intake of fats. This means reducing the amount of oil, fatty meat and fatty dairy you eat. Sweets in the form of candy and added sugars should be eaten sparingly. These are considered empty calories in that they are calories but provide no nutritional value.
Physical Activity
The newest addition to the food guide pyramid is the emphasis it places on including physical activity to your daily life. The USDA recommends matching your physical activity with the amount of calories you take in each day. This will assure that you maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity should accumulate to 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.
Customizing the Food Pyramid
Another aspect of the new food pyramid is the ability to customize it. You can change the servings of each food group in accordance with your age, gender and average level of physical activity. Simply head to the website, MyPyramid.gov, and select "Get a Personalized Plan" to get started.
References
- "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney; 2004.
- Keep Kids Healthy.com: Food Pyramid; April 23, 2005
- MyPyramid.gov: Food Groups
- MyPyramid.gov
- Learning Info.org: The Food Pyramid: Its History, Purpose and Effectiveness; Jaye Lewis
- "Dietary Guidelines For Americans: 2010"; United States Department of Agriculture; February 2011
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