Using USDA’s Food Guide as a Guide to Healthful Eating Making Sense of MyPyramid Using USDA’s Food Guide as a Guide to Healthful Eating Note to presenter: You may need to make changes to this presentation to reflect changes in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with the 2010 release of this document. Review Date 2/11 G-1522

Why Use MyPyramid? MyPyramid is a food guide that helps put the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into practice The Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid work together to help Americans make healthy food choices

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Dietary recommendations for health promotion and chronic disease prevention Based on Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report and public comments For policymakers and health professionals Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/ Update due 2010/2011 Note to presenter: Go to Web site to download copy of 2010 guidelines after publication to replace picture of 2005 dietary guidelines.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (cont’d) Provide general health information based on scientific research Do not provide specific food intake guidelines Refer readers to specific food guides, such as MyPyramid, for information on food groups and serving sizes

History of USDA’s Food Guidance System Food for Children 1992 1916 1940s 1970s 2005 1950s-1960s The MyPyramid.gov symbol belongs to the US Dept of Agriculture (USDA).

The Original Food Guide Pyramid (1992) Young You Young g The original pyramid was revolutionary, giving nutrition professionals a clear way to teach consumers about food groups and portion sizes.

MyPyramid.gov (2005)

Message to Consumers: Variety In the Dietary Guidelines: Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups In MyPyramid graphic: Color bands represent that all food groups are needed each day for health

Food Groups Are Color-Coded

Benefits of MyPyramid Recommendations are based on a 2000-calorie diet, which is considered appropriate for most women Can individualize online to obtain portions based on your age, gender, and activity level

This is an example of a downloadable handout on MyPyramid.gov.

Grain Group Eat at least 3 ounces (oz) of whole-grain cereals, breads, or pasta every day 1 oz is about one slice of bread, 1 cup (C) of breakfast cereal, or ½ C of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta For a 2000-calorie diet, eat 6 oz every day

Vegetable Group Eat more dark-green vegetables—broccoli, spinach, and other dark-leafy greens Consume more orange vegetables—carrots and sweet potatoes Include more dry beans and peas—pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils For a 2000-calorie diet, eat 2½ C every day

Meat & Bean Group Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry Bake it, broil it, or grill it Vary your protein routine—choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds For a 2000-calorie diet, eat 5½ oz every day

Milk Group Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and other milk products If you do not or cannot consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources, such as fortified foods and beverages For a 2000-calorie diet, consume 3 C every day

Fruit Group Eat a variety of fruit Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit Go easy on fruit juices For a 2000-calorie diet, eat 2 C every day

Know the Limits on Fats, Sugar, and Sodium Get most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils Limit solid fats (butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard) and fried foods that contain these Check Nutrition Facts labels to keep saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium low Choose foods/beverages low in added sugars—they contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients

Balance Between Food and Physical Exercise Stay within your daily calorie needs Keep physically active for 30 minutes most days of the week Know that you may need about 60 minutes a day of physical activity to prevent weight gain Understand that you may need 60–90 minutes of physical activity to sustain weight loss Help children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity every day or most days

Visit www.mypyramid.gov to get the portions of the different foods groups specific to your age, gender, and activity level. MyPyramid tracker allows you to track your food intake and physical activity.

Use MyPyramid To learn about the food groups To find out how much of different foods you should eat To help track your food intake online