| ign="center"> | | | | balanced diet is one that makes use of all the food |
| The Food Guide Pyramid is one manner for | | | | groups. From another perspective, have foods from |
| Americans to read how to eat healthy. A rainbow of | | | | every color, every day. |
| colored, vertical stripes stands for the five food groups | | | | We should eat less of some foods, and extra of |
| plus fats and oils. Here is what the colors stand | | | | others. You can see that the bands for meat and |
| for:orange = grainsgreen = vegetablesred = | | | | protein are purple and oils are yellow and less |
| fruitsyellow = fats and oilsblue = milk and dairy | | | | pronounced than the other ones. The reason is |
| productspurple = meat, beans, fish, and nuts | | | | because you need less of those varieties of foods |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) modified | | | | than your need of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy |
| the pyramid in spring 2005 because they wanted to do | | | | foods. |
| a more enhanced job of narrating to Americans how | | | | Your family also can see the bands start out fatter |
| to be healthy. The agency later released a special | | | | and get skinnier as they approach the top side. That is |
| variation for children. On this website you will observe | | | | designed to show you that not all foods are made as |
| a girl ascending the staircase up the side of the | | | | good as others, even within a fit food group like fruit. |
| pyramid. That is an example of showing kids how | | | | Sometimes, apple pie might be in that thin section of |
| important it is to exercise and be active every day. | | | | the fruit band because it has a lot of added sugar and |
| From another perspective, play a lot! The stairs are | | | | fat. A whole apple would be turn up in the broad part |
| also a way of showing that you can make changes in | | | | for you can eat more of those in a fit eating regimen. |
| stages to be more healthy. One step at a time, | | | | We should all make nutrition personal. Through the |
| understand? | | | | USDA's MyPyramid website, families can get personal |
| The Pyramid Speaks to us in several ways. Let us all | | | | recommendations about the mix of nutrients they need |
| confront a few of the additional topics this new | | | | to have and how much he or she must be eating. |
| symbol is trying to pass on: | | | | There is a children's' variation of the website available |
| A person should eat a wide variety of foods. A | | | | as well. |