Steps to a Healthier You: Get Up And Do Something

Navigating the New Food Guide Pyramid

The United States Department of Agriculture released a new food guide pyramid earlier this year. Based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, this pyramid has an updated design, new nutritional messages, and an interactive web component.

The Design-Besides the triangle shape, the new food guide pyramid looks nothing like the older version. In the new pyramid, six horizontal colors, of varying widths, stream down from the pyramid’s peak. The color bands are representative of the variety in the diet, while the differing widths of color suggest moderation, and emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk & milk products, all of which have wider bands of color. Additionally, the new food guide pyramid has an activity staircase going along one side, with a figure running up the steps. The staircase is representative of the gradual improvement toward a healthy lifestyle, and also indicates the importance of including physical activity in conjunction with a balanced diet.

The Colors-The new food guide pyramid is very colorful … but what do the colors represent?

Orange-Grains, Rice, Pasta: Grains are usually divided into two groups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel and are higher in fiber and oftentimes vitamins and minerals, than refined products. The dietary fiber from whole grain products, as part of a balanced diet, may assist in lowering blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart disease. In order to increase whole grains in your diet, look for products that have whole grain or whole wheat in the ingredient list. Or, try whole grain products like whole-wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal, whole cornmeal and brown rice.
Green-Vegetables: Vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are naturally low in calories and fat. A diet high in vegetables and fruits has been associated with reducing the risk of developing certain types of cancer, strokes, and heart disease. Variety is the key to reaping the nutritious benefits of vegetables. Try adding tomatoes and lettuce to your sandwich, making a vegetable soup or trying a vegetable juice.
Red-Fruits: Like vegetables, fruits also contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Their sweet taste makes fruit the perfect addition to a balanced meal and there are many ways to increase fruit intake in your diet. Start the day with a glass of 100% orange, apple or cranberry juice, add some grapes or a pear to lunch, and make a quick smoothie for an after dinner snack. Fruit can be fresh, frozen or canned, so aim to include more fruit in your diet!
Blue-Milk and milk products: Consuming adequate amounts of milk and milk-based products can reduce the risk of low bone mass throughout one’s lifecycle. Calcium, Vitamin D, Potassium and Protein are all important nutrients that are found in many milk and milk-based products. Low- or reduced-fat milk, cheese and yogurts are all good selections when choosing from this group. Selecting low- and reduced-fat products is a great choice because you still receive all the important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein, while reducing the saturated and total fat content. Lactose-intolerant individuals can still receive most of the nutrients from this group by selecting products that are lactose-free or lower-in lactose.
Purple-Meats, Beans, Fish, Eggs and Nuts: Protein, as well as iron, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin E, and B Vitamins are found in products from this group. When selecting meat products look for lean or low-fat cuts of meat, in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the product. Substituting fish or a bean based dish for a meat is an excellent choice, as fish contains healthy oils, like omega-3, and beans are high in fiber and low in fat.
Yellow-Oils: Fats can be solid or liquid; oils happen to be the liquid form of fats. Oils consist primarily of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS), that provide essential fatty acids in the diet and are also a good source of Vitamin E. Unlike saturated fats, MUFAS and PUFAS do not raise LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and it is important to include these ‘healthy’ fats in your diet.

Web-Components Unlike the old food guide pyramid, the new version has a related website www.mypryamid.gov, which provides users with a ton of related information. Web-users can even get personalized recommendations based on age, gender and physical activity level for serving sizes from each group on the pyramid. Other components allow users to track physical activity level and diet history and then receive feedback on their progress. Listed below are some of the key components of the website that may be helpful and of interest.

My Pyramid Plan: Users receive recommendations on the approximate calorie amounts, and specific serving size from each group that they should be consuming based of their age, gender, and physical activity level.
My Pyramid Tracker: My pyramid tracker is designed to allow users to enter diet histories and physical activity level and receive personalized information regarding diet quality and physical activity status.
Inside the Pyramid: This section allows users to find out more information on each specific food group, including the health benefits.
For Teachers: The new website also has a specific section for children ages 6-11, which can be found at http://mypyramid.gov/kids. The page contains a worksheet, coloring page, interactive game for kids and classroom materials for teaching lessons based on the new food guide pyramid.

Reference:
www.mypyramid.gov