New U.S. Dietary Food Pyramids: Hit The Market

New U.S. Dietary Food Pyramids Aim to Foster Healthier Eating and Better Health.

Biggest change from old pyramid? Now there are 12 different pyramids, each targeting four overarching themes:

1. Variety: Eat foods from all food groups and subgroups.
   
2. Proportionality: Eat more of some foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk products), and less of others (foods high in saturated or trans fats, added sugars, cholesterol salt, and alcohol.).
   
3. Moderation: Choose forms of foods that limit intake of saturated or trans fats, added sugars, cholesterol, salt, and alcohol.
   
4. Activity: Be physically active every day.
   

Background:
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the basis for new Federal nutrition policy. The MyPyramid Food Guidance System provides food-based guidance to help implement the recommendations of the new Guidelines. MyPyramid was based on both the Guidelines and the Dietary Reference Intakes from the National Academy of Sciences, while taking into account current consumption patterns of Americans.

MyPyramid translates the Guidelines into a total diet that meets nutrient needs from food sources and aims to moderate or limit dietary components often consumed in excess. An important complementary tool is the Nutrition Facts label on food products. And MyPyramid provides web-based interactive and print materials for consumers. In addition, materials have been developed for both consumers and professionals in the field. How MyPyramid Works

Overview of the New MyPyramid Food Guidance System:
The new pyramids works on the two key ideas. First, that one size does NOT fit everyone. And second, getting the bulk of your nutrients through food in-take is best. The MyPyramid Education Framework provides specific recommendations for making food choices that will improve the quality of an average American diet. These recommendations are interrelated and should be used together. Taken together, they would result in the following changes from a typical diet:

• Increased intake of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other essential nutrients, especially of those that are often low in typical diets.
  
• Lowered intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol and increased intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to decrease risk for some chronic diseases.
  
• Calorie intake balanced with energy needs to prevent weight gain and/or promote a healthy weight.
  

Take sometime to fully explore the new website: MyPyramid There's a lot of new information to digest; so plan to visit the site often. More about the new pyramids next time.

(Source: MyPyramid.gov)