Over the past 12 years, you may have become familiar with the food pyramid and its guidelines about eating. A new and improved food pyramid was released in April 2005 from the United States Department of Agriculture. The 2005 pyramid has a new look and presents a few new ideas about how you can choose nutritious foods, get active and stay healthy. Read on to learn how the tools on the MyPyramid.gov web site can help you.
THE PYRAMID IS RIGHT FOR DIABETES
You might wonder whether the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the new food pyramid is right for people with diabetes. The answer is yes. The nutrition and physical activity messages from the Dietary Guidelines and the new food pyramid are in line with those of the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association. Everyone is singing the same song when it comes to healthy eating and physical activity.
THE PYRAMID IS NOW TIPPED SIDEWAYS
The first pyramid showed the food groups from top to bottom with the foods to eat more of on the bottom and foods to eat less of—fats, oils and sweets—on the top. As you will see, the new pyramid has been tipped sideways. It shows the food groups running from the top of the pyramid to the bottom. No foods are shown on the pyramid, just bands of color.
You’ll also notice that the widths of the bands are different. For example, the orange band for grains is wider than the yellow band for fats. The idea is to eat more of the foods in the groups with wider bands.
STEPS GOING UP
Physical activity is a new addition to the 2005 pyramid and is shown by a person walking up a set of stairs. The steps give the message that food and activity work together in a healthy lifestyle. Regular activity helps people lower the risks of such diseases as diabetes and heart disease.
NOT ONE, BUT 12 PYRAMIDS
Another message in the 2005 pyramid is the need for each person to have his or her own pyramid. One of the 12 pyramids fits your nutrition and health needs. Go to MyPyramid.gov and then click on “my pyramid plan.” Then fill in your age, sex and the usual amount of physical activity you get each day. Click on “submit,” and you’ll get the pyramid to match the details you put in.
An important point to keep in mind is that this pyramid calculator doesn’t factor into these calorie estimates whether or not you need to lose weight. Yet, many people do. If you want to lose weight, you’ll need to eat fewer calories a day. Find more help by using the pyramid tracker (read on for more information).
CLICK ON TIPS FOR FOOD GROUPS
Click on “tips” to get nutrition pointers for each food group. Clicking on a food group, such as “Grains,” shows you which foods are in that group and how to choose whole grains. Click on “Vegetables” and learn more about the different types of dark green and yellow/orange vegetables. Click on “tips” and you’ll learn how to eat more or less of these foods.
Finally, you’ll learn about the number of teaspoons of oil to use each day and the number of discretionary calories you should allow yourself each day. Discretionary calories are the calories from added sugars and solid fats, such as fats from meat or butter and alcohol. In the following example, the discretionary calories were limited to 130 calories as added sugars and solid fat.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS, TOO
You also can track your progress if you click on “my tracker” and register at no charge. This section helps you use the nutrition and physical activity messages from the new pyramid. It allows you to compare a day’s worth of the foods you eat and the activity you get with the nutrition and physical activity you need. On the tracker you’ll also get nutrition and physical activity messages tailored for you, along with links to web sites where you can learn more.
MyPyramid.gov is loaded with facts, practical advice and helpful tips. All of this information is available at no charge. Think about spending some time on the site. During your first visit, learn about the messages in the new pyramid, what foods are in each food group and the number of servings you need (or don’t need) to eat each day. Then, come back at another time and get practical tips or register to use the tracker. If you don’t have Internet access at home, ask friends or relatives for assistance or log on at your local library.
THE PYRAMID’S THREE PURPOSES
1. To translate the latest research about nutrition into suggestions for the correct amount of foods for you to eat each day.
2. To make you aware that simple and modest changes in eating and activity habits can have vital health benefits.
3. To show you how healthy eating habits can help people stay healthy and lower their risk for disease, such as diabetes and heart disease.
THE PYRAMID’S THREE KEY NUTRITON MESSAGES.
1. Make choices from every food group.
2. Find your balance between food and physical activity.
3. Get the most nutrition out of your calories.
The 2005 pyramid has a new look and presents a few new ideas about how you can choose nutritious foods, get active and stay healthy.
