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New Food Guide Pyramid in Perspective: Around the world and through the ages
by Ellen Sushak, Registered Dietitian and HPC member
Like New Year's Eve, it's time for resolutions. "What's the occasion?" you might ask. Well, the old Food Guide Pyramid's been replaced by a new visual aid to guide Americans towards healthier eating. The new Food Guide is also in the shape of-you guessed it-a pyramid! So, what's really different? The new pyramid, introduced in mid-April, adds a few bonuses:
- Incorporates exercise recommendations (like balancing calories consumed with calories used).
- Refers to everyday measures (like cups) rather than elusive and variable "serving sizes."
- Is designed to be personalized by the user (on-line), or in consultation with a nutritionist. The government's advice has leapt into the age of technology and individual attention.
The pyramid is a teaching tool, a "picture book" representation of 41 statements about healthy eating that were issued by the US government in January, 2005. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every 5 years. The visual aid, on the other hand, remains for 10 to 15 years.
The effects of the new guidelines can already be seen in the marketplace. Have you noticed that major cereal companies are now trying to out-"whole grain" each other? Yup, you guessed it, the government recommends we eat at least three ounces of whole grains daily. One ounce equals one slice of bread. It also recommends limiting intake of trans fats, and again, you can see immediate effects on food labels: they now scream "NO trans-fats" whenever they can.
Why, you may wonder, does the federal government give nutrition advice? The answer to this question has changed through the decades. In the early 1900's, the advice was meant to eliminate malnutrition as well as promote America's agricultural products. Today's health message intends to steer people away from risky eating, the kind that leads to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. The bottom line: healthier citizens mean a stronger country-one that succeeds economically and spends less on health care.
Another reason for issuing specific dos and don'ts about healthy eating involves our government's role in several nutrition programs. The guidelines present a dietary pattern the government is willing to put its own money into through such programs as school lunch programs, senior congregate dining, home-delivered meals, and the WIC program for women, infants, and children. There simply need to be agreed-upon and clearly stated ideas of a healthy daily food plan to guide these programs.
The newest version of the Food Guide Pyramid is based on solid research, although it also shows the effects of lobbying by food producers, such as the meat and dairy industries. But, this version is earning praise over the old one. Even some of the government's loudest critics are impressed. Michael Jacobson, head of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, quoted in Nature (February 2005) says, "They look like the strongest dietary guidelines yet produced."
Other nations also have their own nutrition guidelines. Because all are research-based, there's no surprise that all are similar, with grains (starches) representing the major portion of intake while protein foods like meat, poultry, and fish are recommended in smaller amounts. Canada uses a rainbow to illustrate its recommendations; grain foods being the longest reach and (colored in yellow-gold), and 'meat and alternatives' foods on the inner (red-hued) segment. Yes, the colors aren't exactly as they appear in nature! China's symbol for healthy, balanced eating is a pagoda. I bet you already know which food group appears on the stable bottom level: grains, of course. Rice and noodles occupy this group, while bok choy appears prominently in the vegetable category. Germany's good-eating visual aid is a wheel, and Mexico uses a circle with pie shaped wedges of differing sizes.
The symbols and recommendations not only reflect research on healthy human diets, but also acknowledge the foods available and choices made within each county. Let me be more specific. Our government does it this way. Building the pyramid begins with the recommended intake of vitamins and minerals. Then, through a trial and error process, designers use US consumption data to build a jigsaw puzzle of food items that, when eaten together, meet these recommendations.
Here's an example. In the "green vegetable category" people in our country consume broccoli about 50% of the time, while spinach intake represents only 20% of green vegetable consumption. So, when the government builds its recommendations, the nutrient profile it uses for "green vegetable" is a composite vegetable more like broccoli than spinach.
There are other ways national advice varies from country to county. Take the protein recommendation as an example. Research shows that healthy adults require approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. Protein in the American diet comes mainly from meats, fish, and poultry, as well as from milk and other dairy products. Our pyramid includes food groups for "High Protein Foods" (meat, eggs, beans and nuts), and a "Milk Products" group. The Mexican circle, on the other hand, includes a group for beans and other legumes and a wedge for "foods from animals" (meats and milk). Yes, beans have their own wedge on the Mexican circle, and milk isn't a separate category at all. The bean wedge on the circle is larger, by the way, than the meat-and-milk wedge!
So, ring in the new pyramid by looking at America's new Food Guide Pyramid on-line at www.mypyramid.gov. Use your personal information to build your own recommendations for eating and exercise. You'll be ready to begin the summer with healthy resolutions such as enjoying 2-3 cups of fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetable every day, adding more whole grains, and engaging in 60 minutes of physical activity daily to prevent weight gain. Happy New Year!