| The Food Guide Pyramid is one manner for | | | | food groups. From another perspective, have |
| Americans to read how to eat healthy. A rainbow | | | | foods from every color, every day. |
| of colored, vertical stripes stands for the five | | | | We should eat less of some foods, and extra of |
| food groups plus fats and oils. Here is what the | | | | others. You can see that the bands for meat and |
| colors stand for:orange = grainsgreen = | | | | protein are purple and oils are yellow and less |
| vegetablesred = fruitsyellow = fats and oilsblue = | | | | pronounced than the other ones. The reason is |
| milk and dairy productspurple = meat, beans, fish, | | | | because you need less of those varieties of |
| and nuts | | | | foods than your need of fruits, vegetables, grains, |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | | | | and dairy foods. |
| modified the pyramid in spring 2005 because they | | | | Your family also can see the bands start out |
| wanted to do a more enhanced job of narrating | | | | fatter and get skinnier as they approach the top |
| to Americans how to be healthy. The agency | | | | side. That is designed to show you that not all |
| later released a special variation for children. On | | | | foods are made as good as others, even within a |
| this website you will observe a girl ascending the | | | | fit food group like fruit. Sometimes, apple pie |
| staircase up the side of the pyramid. That is an | | | | might be in that thin section of the fruit band |
| example of showing kids how important it is to | | | | because it has a lot of added sugar and fat. A |
| exercise and be active every day. From another | | | | whole apple would be turn up in the broad part |
| perspective, play a lot! The stairs are also a way | | | | for you can eat more of those in a fit eating |
| of showing that you can make changes in stages | | | | regimen. |
| to be more healthy. One step at a time, | | | | We should all make nutrition personal. Through the |
| understand? | | | | USDA's MyPyramid website, families can get |
| The Pyramid Speaks to us in several ways. Let | | | | personal recommendations about the mix of |
| us all confront a few of the additional topics this | | | | nutrients they need to have and how much he or |
| new symbol is trying to pass on: | | | | she must be eating. There is a children's' variation |
| A person should eat a wide variety of foods. A | | | | of the website available as well. |
| balanced diet is one that makes use of all the | | | | |