While you may have some experience with the old food pyramid, many people realize and recommend a varied diet depending on a number of factors. From your age to your sex to whether you are overweight or have other health problems, your actual food pyramid may be different from your neighbor’s perfect food pyramid. This is one reason the US government (through the USDA) has set up the MyPyramid website.

Here are the main groups in the Food Pyramid of the 21st century.

• Grains - At least half of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.
• Vegetables - Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content.
• Fruits - Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
• Milk - Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not considered part of this food group.
• Meat & Beans - The best meat and poultry choices will be lean or low-fat. Unlike older food pyramids, the modern ones tend to recommend smaller amounts of protein.
• Oils - Oils come from many different plants and from fish and some are better for the body than others.
• Discretionary Calories - The amount will vary from person to person, but in general this will be 300 to 400 calories worth of food used on sugars, high fat foods, and other types of food that are “treats” in a way.

By focusing on fruits and vegetables rather than lots of meat and grains, the modern food pyramid is different than those in the past, but a lot of thought and research has gone into the recommended daily allowances. The fact that there are different food pyramids for different types of people means that the whole idea of food pyramids and food groups has come quite a long way over the years.

If you have any questions about the food pyramid – the old one or the modern one – leave a question below and we will try to get it answered for you. Also, if you want to hear more facts about food pyramids, let us know and we’ll get to work providing you with the content you want.

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