The New Food Guide Pyramid  By Michele Batz
This is a new guide developed by the government in April, 2005.
This guide is to promote healthy living. The old pyramid was developed
13
years ago
when we didn't know as much about nutrition. For instance, in 1992,
there was
a lot less emphasis on whole grain foods than there is today. In
order to
keep up with the times, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
decided to
update the pyramid.
The new pyramid is designed to remind people what
they should eat to stay healthy. The
old pyramid showed only foods. The new pyramid has been updated
to include
physical activity as well.
The new pyramid shows food groups as a series of
differently sized colored
bands. The colors are:
- purple for meats, beans and fish
The bands are different widths
to show how much of a particular food group a
person should eat each day. So the orange band is much wider than
the
yellow one because people need to eat a lot more grains than fats
and oils.
The drawing of a person climbing stairs at the side of the new
pyramid is
there to remind us that physical activity is as important to healthy
living as
eating well. Exercise helps all of us stay healthy — it can increase
bone
strength, for example. Food and exercise are closely linked. Everyone
needs to
eat well to get the nutrients that help the body grow. Individuals
who
are most active need additional food so they can fuel their activity
levels.
That way they satisfy their body’s needs for growth and activity.
The new food guide pyramid is supposed to help people remember
the following
key points.
- Combine exercise with eating well. Exercise benefits
every part of the
body, including the mind. Experts now know that exercise fights
off a range of
possible health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and even
depression.
People need 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise everyday to
stay healthy.
- Eat a variety of foods. The different color bands
in the pyramid send the
message that it’s important to eat lots of different
foods. Not only does
eating a variety of foods provide people with a good balance
of nutrients, it
also keeps our taste buds entertained.
- Eat foods in moderation. The colored bands
that show each food group are
wider at the bottom of the pyramid than they are at the top.
That’s
a reminder
that some foods in each group can be eaten in large quantities
but others
should be limited. Foods at the bottom of each section include
those with
little or no solid fats and little or no added sugars or sweeteners.
So, a person
should eat more whole wheat bread than regular pasta, for example.
Likewise, people should eat whole, fresh apples more often than
apple pie and try to
get most of their dairy intake from low-fat milk instead of cream
cheese or
other high fat dairy products.
A Reminder to Eat Right and Exercise Why these changes? Americans are getting fatter.
Kids and teens as well as
adults. A lot of this is because we're becoming a nation of
couch potatoes.
We're spending more time in front of computer screens and TV
sets than
meeting up with friends and playing sports. We're sitting behind
a desk or the
wheel of a car instead of working at more active jobs or walking
to our
destinations.
So, get up and get moving. Start a family exercise program
and just get out
there! •
Learn more about the new Food Guide Pyramid
at MyPyramid.gov.
© 2005 Michele Batz
 About the Author
Michele Batz has an extensive 25 year career in sports education. She writes her own column for a Chicagoland newspaper and for eFitness.com and eDiets.com. Her book — What's Holding You Back? A Woman's Beginning Guide to Fitness is available through Amazon.com.
05/10/05
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