As the picture of the new USDA’s MyPyramid begins to appear on cereal boxes, milk cartons and other various food containers, let it remind you each time that getting a good dose of daily physical activity and eating a variety of healthy foods daily is what’s best for you and your children – that is if staying healthy and feeling good is important to you.
Taking a closer look at MyPyramid, you will see there are different colored bands, which represent the different food groups. Each group conveys a healthy message within the information found at MyPyramid.gov.
Orange = Grains “Make half your grains whole.” 
Green = Vegetables “Vary your vegetables.”
Red = Fruits “Focus on fruits.”
Blue = Milk “Get your calcium-rich foods.”
Purple = Meat and Beans “Go lean with protein.”
Did you notice that I left out yellow? It’s not a food group, but it represents the fats and oils in the food choices we make. Because we do need some fat but not too much and not too much of the wrong kind of fat, a separate, skinny band was made just for fats and oils. So,
Yellow = Fats and Oils “Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats like butter, stick margarine, shortening and lard, as well as foods that contain these.”
Check out the band widths. The width of the bands represents the portion of your daily calories to come from each group- the wider the band, the larger the portion. So you see, the two narrowest bands are the Meat and Beans and the Fats and Oils.
Do realize that the foods loaded in fat and sugar from each group are at the top of the bands, which are narrower. This is where the cakes, French fries, apple cobbler, ice cream and barbeque ribs fit. The more of these you eat, the more exercise you will need to do to maintain a healthy body weight because you have to “step-up” your exercise program to burn the excess calories these foods provide. The more wholesome foods like whole grain bread, steamed broccoli, fresh strawberries, skim milk and grilled chicken would belong at the bottom of the bands or the broader portion.
As to the action figure person who is climbing the stairs, well you have heard it before – get ACTIVE! There is no way around it! Getting at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity is recommended to prevent weight gain, lose weight, and maintain weight loss.
Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but let the MyPyramid serve you better than words. Let it be a constant reminder and what it takes to be healthy and stay healthy. Let it motivate you to live healthier each day, taking it one step at a time. Check out the www.MyPyramid.gov for in-depth tools for assessing your calorie requirement and tracking your food intake and exercise, plus many more! Don’t delay, start today!!
Check out our other articles on MyPyramid: Let's Take a Look At What's Inside MyPyramid
