Nutrition Services

The New Food Guide Pyramid: My Pyramid You may have noticed the new food guide recommendations called My Pyramid. My Pyramid was released in 2005 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). My Pyramid replaces the old Food Guide Pyramid designed in 1992. This new food guidance system incorporates the latest nutritional recommendations set by the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

What's New?

• Personalization –My Pyramid is not a one size fits all approach. You can obtain individualized nutrition recommendations at the website www.MyPyramid.gov. Click on “My Pyramid Plan”.
• Activity –The new guidelines include recommendations for physical activity on most days of the week to improve or maintain health.
• Moderation –My Pyramid advises limiting sugars, salt, and fats (especially solid fats). The more active you are the more calories from these foods you can fit into your diet.
• Proportionality –My Pyramid suggests amounts to eat from each food group measured in cups or ounces. There is also a visual representations of how much food to eat from each food group.
• Variety – The new food guidelines advise eating a well balanced diet. All food groups are needed each day to obtain a variety of nutrients essential for good health.
• Gradual Improvement –The My Pyramid logo shows an image of a person climbing steps. This represents that dietary and lifestyle changes are more successfully made in small steps.

What are the Food Groups?

• Grains – Choose whole grains more often. Look for whole-wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal, and brown rice options.
• Vegetables –Choose a variety of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables each day. Focus on an assortment of colors such as dark leafy greens, red and orange vegetables.
• Fruits –Stock up on fresh, canned, dried or frozen fruits. Choose whole fruits more often than fruit juices.
• Milk –Milk, yogurt and cheese are great foods to provide your body with calcium. Look for low-fat varieties. (If you do not drink milk, choose other foods high in calcium such as calcium fortified orange juice, dark leafy greens, or dried beans.)
• Meat & Beans – Beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds are good protein sources for your body. Choose lean meat and poultry, or try vegetarian protein sources for a change.

How Much Food Should You Eat?

By entering some information about yourself (age, gender, physical activity level) under “My Pyramid Plan”, My Pyramid will give you a recommended daily calorie level most appropriate for you based on these values. For example, the daily recommendation for a 19-30 year old woman who participates in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day would be around 2,000 calories. My Pyramid will suggest amounts of each food group to obtain daily. For a 2,000 calorie diet, this would look like:

• 6 oz. of grains (try to obtain ½ of the grains you eat whole grains)
• 2 ½ cups of vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned)
• 2 cups of fruit (fresh, frozen, canned, dried)
• 3 cups of milk (including yogurt and cheese)
• 5 ½ oz. of protein (meat, beans, nuts, eggs)

Instead of measuring out these amounts, you can think about them in a visual sense.
For reference:

3 oz. of meat = size of a deck of cards
One cup = size of a tennis ball
½ cup = size of a golf ball
1 teaspoon = tip of thumb
1 Tablespoon = whole thumb

Yummy Recipes yielding a variety of nutrients:

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus (makes 8 servings)
Hummus is a great item to take with you for lunch or as a snack. Bring along dippable veggies, such as baby carrots, cucumber slices, or broccoli to eat with this delicious hummus.

2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup low fat yogurt
¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 garlic cloves
½ cup chopped and drained sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp lemon juice

1. Process garbanzo beans, yogurt, tahini, and garlic in food processor until smooth.
2. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and herbs; season to taste with lemon juice.
3. Refrigerate two hours before serving.

Spinach Orange Salad (makes 4 servings)

4 cups spinach, torn into pieces (or you can use baby spinach)
2 medium oranges, sectioned (save the juice!)
2/3 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup red onion, sliced
2 Tbsp canola or olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
¼ cup orange juice (from sectioning the 2 oranges)
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp pepper

1. Place spinach in bowl. Add orange sections, mushrooms, and onions. Toss lightly to mix.
2. Mix oil, vinegar, orange juice, ginger, and pepper well. Pour over spinach mixture. Toss to mix.
3. Chill and serve.

Nutrition info per serving: 110 calories; 7g of fat; 25mg sodium; 11g carbohydrate; 3g fiber; 2g protein; 90% Vitamin A

For more recipes, check out www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov