The Food Guide Pyramid is a helpful tool for creating a healthy eating plan. The Food Guide Pyramid is a product of the Center For Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization established in 1994 within the United States Department of Agriculture. The most current food guide pyramid was updated in 2005. Consistent, healthful eating habits are often a result of cultivating optimal nutrition earlier in life. The Food Guide Pyramid also encourages adults to teach kids about good nutrition through this tool.
Color Codes
The color codes on the Food Guide Pyramid were designed to identify food groups. At the bottom of the pyramid, the colored stripes of each food group indicate amounts of each group that should be eaten daily. For example, the fruits, vegetables, milk and grain group are wider than the oils, and meat and beans group.
Variety of Foods
The color variety of each food group is aimed to help kids visualize that they should eat foods from each color food group every day. This encourages a balanced eating plan, which will help kids get nutrients from each group.
Interactive Worksheets
The Food Guide Pyramid has worksheets designed for children to fill out food intake from the day before so the child can evaluate his eating pattern. The worksheet then asks to set a goal for the next day to make improvements. For example, if a child writes down that they ate 1/2 cup of fruit, and the daily goal is 1 1/2 cups, the child is reminded to eat more fruit the next day. Recommended amounts of servings for each food group are included on the worksheet to help kids evaluate and make necessary changes in eating habits.
Physical Activity
The Food Guide Pyramid also encourages the importance of physical activity for children in addition to healthful eating habits. In fact, the pyramid has stairs on the left side showing a person climbing the steps, which is an illustrative example to promote the message of physical activity. The pyramid recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily on most days. The Food Guide Pyramid is an informative tool to help adults, children and families develop healthful eating habits and regular physical activity.
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