The food guide pyramid has recently been redesigned!

The biggest change is that the food groups are no longer represented within horizontal blocks of the pyramid. Now a rainbow of vertical colored bands represents five food groups, including fats and oils.

Here's what the colors signify:

Orange - Grains
Green - Vegetables
Red - Fruits
Blue - Milk
Purple - Meat, Beans, Cheese and Nuts
Yellow - Oils

The bands start out wider at the base and taper as they approach the top of the pyramid. That's designed to show you that not all foods are created equal, even within a healthy food group. For instance, blueberry pie would be in the thin part of the fruit band because it has a lot of added fat and sugar. However, you would find blueberries down at the wider section of the base as they are rich in fiber and antioxidants, therefore, you can eat more servings within a healthy diet

The USDA’s decision to replace the old pyramid was a result of updated scientific research and an effort to reinforce the importance of diet, and exercise. Since the start of the original pyramid in 1992, dietary and nutritional science has progressed to include overlooked aspects of nutritional health, such as physical activity and the difference between whole grains and refined grains. Additionally, the old pyramid offered a one size fits all solution which did not consider differences in age, physical activity or gender.

In April of this year, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johannes presented a new personalized symbol for food guidance. The new “MyPyramid” reflects these and other changes as it was developed with the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans in mind.

Through the USDA's MyPyramid website, you can get personalized recommendations of amounts of foods to eat, daily trackers of physical activity and diet, and a variety of tips and supportive resources. There are twelve variations of the pyramid, and a child-friendly version for kids 6- 11 will soon be available.

Critics of the design and purpose of MyPyramid feel that it is not particularly effective as there are no words to identify food group or serving and portion size. Consumers have to go on line to the website, and read the supplementary text which explains which food group each colored band represents and the corresponding portions suggested to meet set goals. Some experts feel that this format is too vague to be understood by the average consumer and that relying on the Website to provide key information, guarantees that the millions of individuals without access to the Internet will have trouble getting these essential facts.

Building a Better Pyramid

Nutrition experts from the Harvard School of Public Health created an alternative - The Healthy Eating Pyramid. It is based on the best available scientific evidence about the links between diet and health, and does not reflect underlying influence from big business. This new pyramid fixes fundamental flaws in the USDA pyramid and offers information to help people make better choices about what to eat.

The entire base of the Healthy Eating Pyramid is devoted to daily exercise and weight control, as these two elements strongly influence your chances of staying healthy. Other bricks of the Pyramid include: Plant oils at the base, white rice, white bread, potatoes, pasta, and sweets are found at the top and suggested to be eaten sparingly. Though fish, poultry and eggs are recommended 0-2 times daily, red meat is at the top of the symbol and suggested to be used sparingly. Nuts and legumes are recommended 1-3 times a day and low fat dairy only 1 -2 times daily. A daily multivitamin, and mineral supplement is recommended as a type of nutritional backup, and when it comes to alcohol moderation is key.

So I ask you……What Color Is Your Pyramid?

Debra Nessel, RD, CDE