The New USDA Food Pyramid

Most of us grew up with the old government food pyramid, with bread, pasta and other carbs on the bottom, and fats up on top. It was "one-size-fits-all."

But the USDA replaced it with the MyPyramid system in 2005. The new food pyramid includes exercise and has a more individualized approach to health and nutrition, depending on your age, gender and activity level. That makes sense, since everyone's needs are different. But it also makes things a bit more complicated. And the whole idea of using a food pyramid is to make it easier for you to remember the food groups and what you should be eating.

The new USDA food pyramid groups are:

• Grains - including bread, pasta, crackers, oats, and rice. Preferably whole grains. Have a total of at least 3 ounces per day.


• Vegetables - including all the vegetables or 100% vegetable juices. They are divided into sub-groups: dark green (e.g. broccoli), orange (e.g. carrots), dried peas and beans, and others. Focus on the dark green and orange categories.


• Fruits - including all fruits and 100% pure fruit juices. We get most of our vitamin C from fruits.


• Milk - including most dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese) but not butter and cream. Dairy is a major source of calcium. Low fat or fat free varieties are better.


• Meat and Beans - including fish, chicken, eggs, and nuts, as well as meats and protein rich beans. Use lean meats, and low-fat methods for cooking.


• Oils - these are fats that are liquid at room temperature. Some fats are good fats, and needed for good health, but watch out for excess calories.


• Physical Activity - Get half an hour of moderate exercise or physical activity daily. Choose something you enjoy: running, swimming, walking, biking, even gardening.

I recommend you spend a few minutes exploring the MyPramid.gov web site. There is a lot of valuable and useful information. But recently, other groups and organizations have published their own versions of the food pyramid, some with significant differences. More on that next time.