FDA Food Pyramid

The FDA food pyramid is a new design and explained here. This new FDA pyramid has vertical divisions instead of horizontal divisions. It means each food group is equally important. The FDA news released this new version in April of 2005. It coincided with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They call the new pyramid guide, MyPyramid.

At the website MyPyramid.gov, you can find different approaches to eating healthy and engaging in physical activity. The new guide emphasizes the importance of exercise, represented by the staircase that is part of the pyramid.

According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, 64 percent of adults age 20 and older are overweight or obese. Only about 3 percent follow healthy advice about exercise, nutrition and weight loss. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, arthritis and the complications of diabetes. More than 300,000 people die every year because of obesity.

The FDA Food Pyramid

The first section is orange and refers to grains as part of your diet. The recommendation is to eat 3 ounces of whole grain products every day. Grains are any food made from:

• Wheat
• Rice
• Oats
• Cornmeal
• Barley

Grains are divided into two groups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel – the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Examples are:

• Whole-wheat flour
• Bulgur (cracked wheat)
• Oatmeal
• Whole cornmeal
• Brown rice

Refined grains have been milled, which removes the bran and the germ. It removes the dietary fiber, iron and many B vitamins. Refined grain products include:

• White flour
• De-germed cornmeal
• White bread
• White rice

Most refined grains are enriched, which means vitamins and minerals are added back into the product. Fiber is not added back to enriched grains. Check the ingredient list on refined grain products to make sure that the word “enriched” is included in the grain name. Some food products are made from mixtures of whole grains and refined grains.

The second section is green and refers to vegetables as part of your diet. Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. They can be raw or cooked and fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. There are five sub-groups of vegetables. They are:

• Dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, spinach, dark leafy lettuce.
• Orange vegetables, such as, squash, carrots, and peppers.
• Dry beans and peas, such as kidney beans, navy beans, split peas, soybeans and tofu.
• Starchy vegetables, such as corn and potatoes.
• Other vegetables, such as asparagus, beets, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, and turnips.

The third section is red and refers to fruits as part of your diet. Any fruit is good. They may be fresh, canned, frozen or dried. Some fruits are:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries
• Grapefruit
• Cherries
• Melons
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Prunes
• Tangerines

100 percent fruit juices count as a fruit, such as orange juice or apple juice, or products like Juicy Juice®.

The fourth section is yellow and refers to oils. Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Oils come from many different plants and from fish. Some common oils are:

• canola oil
• corn oil
• cottonseed oil
• olive oil
• safflower oil
• soybean oil
• sunflower oil

A number of foods are naturally high in oils, like:

• nuts
• olives
• some fish
• avocados

The fifth section is blue and refers to milk products as part of your diet. Low fat or fat-free is best. The calcium rich foods are:

• All fluid milk
• Cheese – hard and soft
• Yogurts
• Milk-based desserts, such as ice cream and puddings.

The sixth section of the pyramid is purple and refers to meat and beans as a source of protein. All foods made from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts and seeds are part of this group. Beans are a source of protein, but are also considered vegetables.

Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Processed meats such as ham, sausage, hot dogs, and bologna have high amounts of sodium.

Choose fish, nuts or seeds frequently since they contain healthy oils. instead of meat or poultry. Select fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring, more often. Sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts are the richest sources of vitamin E. Make these nut choices often.

The food pyramid is posted in some doctor’s offices and supermarkets. It is meant to be instructional and helpful. More people need to know about it.

Written by: Margaret Stenerson

10 6 2010