The Power of the Pyramid

The traditional strategy of eating foods from four equally important food groups--milk, meat, fruits and vegetables, and grains--was widely used. In 1992, though, after research had clearly demonstrated that the four food groups were not nutritionally equal, the federal government developed the Food Guide Pyramid (6). The pyramid shows that plant foods--grains, vegetables, and fruits--need to be the foundation of our diet. Smaller quantities of dairy, high-protein foods, fats, oils, and sweets should be eaten.

The Food Guide Pyramid now has more specific guidelines that separate vegetables from fruits and recommend more daily servings of each. According to the pyramid, a diet that contains 1,600 calories per day should contain at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit. A diet of 2,800 calories per day should have at least five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit. Table 1 helps clarify what constitutes a serving.

The Food Guide Pyramid de-emphasizes animal foods because the body does not require a large serving to get the nutrients found in these foods and because they tend to be high in fat and saturated fat.

Changing Dietary Guidelines

The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans complement the Food Guide Pyramid. The original Dietary Guidelines, which were developed by the US Department of Agriculture in the early 1970s, suggested a diet low in fats, sodium, and alcohol and emphasized foods high in carbohydrate and low in sugar. The goals of these recommendations were to prevent disease and meet the body's needs for vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates like those found in starchy foods like bread, and dietary fiber.

Today's Dietary Guidelines for Americans (7), published in 1995, suggest a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits. Specifically, these include breads, cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, dried beans, and all types of fruits and vegetables. The guidelines endorse a vegetarian diet as an alternative healthful way of meeting the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs).