Understanding the Food Pyramid by Wendy Meyeroff, Ghostwriter Who Grabs Attention

Use the New Food Pyramid

7/4/09 10:21 PM

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Use the New Food Pyramid By Gary Applebaum, M.D. Special Advisor on Health Policy to Erickson The federal government has implemented two nutritional guidelines designedto help the American diet. One is the new Nutrition Facts label, reported in the March issue of The Erickson Tribune. The other is the focus of this story, the revised U.S. Food Pyramid. Today’s older Americans and their baby boomer children probably remember when nutrition guidelines were laid out in four equal squares, including one for dairy products and one for meat. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) decided it was important to emphasize that not all food substances should have equal weight in our diets. So the Food Pyramid, with its graduating rows of descending nutritional needs, was instituted. Grains occupied the pyramid’s broad base and the most miniscule amount of intake— fats—occupied the pyramid’s pinnacle.

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What Is a Serving? “The greatest difficulty with the 1992 Pyramid was it laid out its recommendation of food consumption in “servings”; e.g., have 6 to 11 servings of grains daily and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables. But what does a serving equal?” says Michael Franklin, R.D., dietitian at Renaissance Gardens at Cedar Crest, the extended care neighborhood of the community in New Jersey, built and managed by Erickson.

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The average consumer had no guidelines as to what constituted a serving of spaghetti or whether the serving of spaghetti equaled a serving of bread (both of which are listed under Grains). What if you were comparing two different food groups? Did a serving of spaghetti equal a serving of cauliflower?

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It’s easy to see where this could become confusing. In 2005 the USDA made some modifications to the Food Pyramid, including some specific recommendations for serving sizes. For example, the Pyramid says both men and women over age 51 need at least three 1-ounce servings of whole grains daily. It then goes even further, explaining one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta equals one ounce.

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You can find the new Food Pyramid online at www.mypyramid.gov. The nice part about this website is it has some nifty interactions, including a chart that shows you what the recommended servings equal and what most people are actually eating. For example, one mini bagel is the 1-ounce. portion the government recommends, but most people are eating one large bagel—the equivalent of four 1-ounce servings. The website also offers tips for getting healthier foods into your diet. Among its suggestions: eating whole grain products (like brown rice and whole wheat bread) instead of those with white flour. Puree vegetables and use them to thicken stews and soups if you are not a fan of eating whole veggies. Another nice thing about the website is you can truly create your own My Pyramid Plan. You enter your age, gender, and activity level (less than 30 minutes a day, for example) and the plan tells you how much to eat from each food group daily. You can even get a version of your daily food needs to print out.

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Beyond the Web Some people might have problems with the website. It requires a lot of navigation, especially if you are going to get the maximum benefit of all the great tips and personalized advice. And you must have access to a computer; the USDA tells us there are no print versions of these guidelines in booklet form. So either go to a library or ask family and friends to help you print out what you need. Best of all, find a dietitian like Franklin for a consult on how to work the new pyramid’s recommendations into your individual dietary needs. For a qualified dietitian, turn to the American Dietetic Association. Call them at 1-800-877-1600 or check their website at www.eatright.org.

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Use the New Food Pyramid

7/4/09 10:21 PM

Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 Copyright Erickson Retirement Communities. All rights reserved. Read by more than 6 million people every month, The Erickson Tribune is a popular and trusted resource for individuals looking to live life to the fullest. For additional information on Erickson and our commitment to serving you, please visit www.erickson.com. The information contained in this article is not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor is it intended to be a substitute for consultation with a medical professional.

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