Food Guide Pyramid, MyPyramid and MyPlate: Useful at All for Nutrition?

1992 USDA Food Guide Pyramid

To help the public better understand a healthy diet, and to make health-conscious food choices, the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) in 1992 came out with its Food Guide Pyramid, which depicts in pyramid form what a supposed healthy diet looks like, beginning with the bottom tier of the pyramid consisting of 6-11 servings of the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta food group, then flowing upward to 3-5 servings of the Vegetable food group.

Beside the Vegetable food group was 2-4 servings of the Fruit food group. The next tier of the food pyramid was 2-3 servings of Dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese). Right beside dairy was 2-3 servings of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, and Nuts food group. At the top of the pyramid were Fats, Oils, and Sweets that were noted to be used sparingly.

The Food Guide Pyramid was a pyramid depicting the more important food staples as the foundation of a healthy diet, which were to be eaten 3-4 times more frequently (as a ratio) than the other important food choices higher in the progression of the pyramid.