The new U.S. Department of Agriculture food guide pyramid is up and running—but what does it really mean for you and your family?
By Kate Grip Denon
A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) turned our nutritional know-how upside down with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the subsequent food guide pyramid, MyPyramid. For the first time, physical activity was incorporated into the pyramid (demonstrated with a stick figure climbing up the left side of the pyramid), and the familiar horizontal blocks were replaced with a rainbow of vertical lines in varying widths representing each food group and proportion recommendations.
But now that the changes are in place, what do they mean for you? From how to squeeze a serving of fruit into your dinner menu to how to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, here’s everything you need to know to stay on top of the pyramid.
The Need for Change
Before undergoing its makeover, the food guide pyramid took a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and good health. The new MyPyramid Plan at MyPyramid.gov provides a personalized estimate of quantity and type of food to include in a diet based on age, gender and level of physical activity. Twelve energy plans, ranging from a diet of 1,000 calories a day to 3,000 calories a day are included.
“One size fits all is not the approach to take. You need to work with age, gender, activity level and food preferences,” says Suzanne Henson, M.S., R.D., coordinator of the UAB EatRight Weight Management Program.
Understanding how all of these factors contribute to overall health is one of the primary goals of the new pyramid. “This is the first step to make you aware of your lifestyle…then you can determine what plan is good for you,” says USDA spokesperson Angela Harless.
Food for Thought
If the old pyramid was considered a general model for healthy eating, the new pyramid is a model with easy-to-use personalized instructions. “It’s one thing to say, ‘Eat more fruits and vegetables,’” Henson says. “But the pyramid tells you how to make that happen.”
Within the pyramid’s Web site, the tips and resources link offers an abundance of hints and suggestions for incorporating fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains into your diet. “Initially I encourage people to play around with the pyramid and see what’s recommended for their age group and gender,” she says. “To get your fruit and vegetable servings, try adding pineapple tidbits and their juice to rice or pouring a bag of frozen vegetables into pasta sauce as it simmers.”
Other tips include choosing whole-grain breads and cereals. “Look for the word ‘whole’ not just wheat, and breads that have 3 grams of fiber per slice, and cereals with 5 grams of fiber per serving,” Henson says.
For dairy, Henson cautions against high-sugar-added products by reading labels. “Read the labels on two different varieties of yogurt and compare the calories, carbohydrates and sugar in each one,” she says.
Exercise Your Options
One of the major benefits of the new pyramid is its ability to aid in weight loss and weight management because of the introduction of physical activity. “Increased physical activity should go hand in hand with better food choices,” Henson says.
The pyramid’s exercise guidelines are broken into three categories: to reduce the risk of chronic disease, exercise at moderate intensity for 30 minutes most days of the week; to prevent gradual weight gain, exercise at moderate intensity 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week; and to sustain weight loss, exercise at moderate intensity for 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week.
Henson acknowledges that 60 to 90 minutes a day of exercise may seem overwhelming for first-time movers, but the beauty of the pyramid is that it can be adapted to your level. “Start wherever you are and get accustomed to moving more throughout the day,” she says. “If we can get you to work in a little more activity, that will have an impact.”
Incorporating activity into everyday life, or Step-Losing, is one philosophy of UAB’s EatRight program. “Unfortunately, we’ve become pretty efficient at saving steps, whether it be heading out for chores on a Saturday morning and never having to leave your car, or sitting in the stands while watching your child’s soccer practice,” Henson says. Step-Losing is meant to get participants thinking how they can be less efficient and add more steps to their day by parking at the opposite end of a parking lot, or walking around the soccer field while your child is at practice.
Finally, Henson urges participants to use the pyramid to their advantage. “Use the interactive nature of the pyramid and its concrete tips—it’s there to help you make things happen.”