Old and New Food Pyramid Information with Pictures

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2017/12/20 - Updated: 2023/10/09
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Fitness and Nutrition - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Description of the new and old food pyramids with pictures explaining how they work and examples of how to eat healthier with proper serving sizes. The New Food Pyramid is a tool to educate people to eat a more balanced diet from a greater variety of food portions without counting calories.

Introduction

The Food Guide Pyramid is a graphical representation allowing people to better understand how to eat healthy. A balanced diet is one that includes all the food groups of the food pyramid. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the food pyramid in spring 2005 because they wanted to convey a better example of how to eat healthier. The new pyramid is based on the best available scientific facts concerning links between diet and good health.

Main Item

This new food pyramid addresses flaws in the original USDA food pyramid and offers better up to date information allowing people to better follow guidelines concerning what they should eat. Below is a picture of both the old and new food pyramids.

Picture of the Old Food Pyramid

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You should center your diet around the foods at the base of the food pyramid, and eat less of the foods at the top. If you're watching your weight then you should concentrate on eating the minimum number of recommended daily servings. If you are looking to gain extra weight, eat the maximum number of servings.

Picture of the New Food Pyramid

The New Food Pyramid is a tool to educate people to eat a more balanced diet from a greater variety of food portions without counting calories. The USDA has now expanded the four food groups to six groups and expanded the number of servings to meet the calorie needs of most people.

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The new food pyramid is more flexible and accurate than the one we had a few years ago. The reason being that one image of a pyramid with markings of what your daily intake should be can not apply to everyone. It all depends on a person's lifestyle and how much exercise they get involved in during a week. It also depends on if a person is trying to lose weight or gain weight. If a person is trying to gain weight then they should proceed to having the highest amounts of recommended servings, if a person is trying to lose weight then they should try to aim for the lowest recommended servings per day.

My Plate

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My Plate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture, depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid guide.

MyPlate is divided into sections of approximately 30 percent grains, 30 percent vegetables, 20 percent fruits and 20 percent protein, accompanied by a smaller circle representing dairy, such as a glass of low-fat/nonfat milk or a yogurt cup.

How Much Does One Serving Equal?

Milk products group:

• 1 cup about 8 oz. of milk or yogurt
• 2 slices of cheese, 1/8" thick (1 1/2 oz.)
• 2 cups of cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of ice milk, ice cream or frozen yogurt

Meat group:

• 2 oz. to 3 oz. of cooked lean meat, poultry, fish
• 2 eggs
• 7 oz. tofu
• 1 cup cooked legumes or dried beans or peas
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup nuts or seeds

Vegetables:

• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
• 1/2 cup raw chopped vegetables
• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable juice

Fruits:

• 1 whole medium fruit (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup dried fruit
• 1/2 cup canned fruit
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup fruit juice

Bread and Cereals:

• 1 slice bread
• 1 medium muffin
• 1/2 hot dog bun or hamburger bun
• 1/2 bagel or English muffin
• 4 small crackers
• 1 tortilla
• 1 cup cold cereal
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1/2 cup pasta.

To have a good idea of what you should be eating and how much of it you should be eating. You can view this interactive guide which was made by the United States Department of Agriculture at https://www.myplate.gov

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.