The New USDA Food Pyramid

HealthWatch for September 2005
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The one-size-fits-all food pyramid is a thing of the past. In the spring of 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new, flexible food pyramid that adjusts the amount of recommended daily food based on age, gender and activity level. This replaces the original, popular pyramid released in 1992, designed to give Americans a guide to healthy eating at a glance. Instead of a single set of guidelines, the new pyramid is individually tailored with more specific advice on portion sizes and calories that reflect the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Recommendations include eating at least 3 ounces of whole-grain foods breads, cereals, rice or pasta; go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt and other milk products and choose food and beverages low in added sugars. Also, the new pyramid stresses the importance of physical activity, symbolized by the figure climbing the steps.

On the pyramid, each color represents a different food group; orange is grains, green are vegetables, red are fruits, blue are dairy and calcium-rich foods, purple are proteins (meats, beans, and fish) and yellow are fats and oils.

Click on The USDA’s New Food Pyramid to get your personalized food pyramid.

Additional Resources:

NPR article on new food pyramid
Nutrition.gov
American Cancer Society, Food and Fitness
American Heart Association, Diet and Nutrition
American Diabetes Association, Nutrition and Recipes
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

Nutritional Resources for Children:

Kid’s Health for Parents - Nutrition and Fitness
Sesame Street’s Health Habits for Life
Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition
Mayo Clinic’s Nutrition for Kids
KidsHealth for kids
KidsHealth for teens