Anatomy of MyPyramid

1
MyPyramid symbolizes a simple, personalized
approach to making healthy food choices and being
active every day.
MyPyramid was created by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion.
2
Anatomy of MyPyramid

• There are six main messages in MyPyramid

3
Activity Message

• Activityis represented by the steps and the
  person climbing them.

• Recommendations for daily calorie levels are
  based on gender, age and activity level.

Teens should be physically active for 60 minutes
every day.
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Activity
5
Variety Message

• Varietyis depicted in thecolor bands of the
  different food groups. Foods from all groups are
  needed every day.

6
Proportion Message

• Proportionis shown by the different widths of
  the food group bands. The wider the band, the
  greater proportion of your diet should come from
  that food group.

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Make Half Your Grains Whole

• Eat 7 oz. of Grains each day.
• 1 oz. from the Grain Group
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal
• 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
• 1/2 mini bagel
• Make at least half your grain choices whole-grain.

based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Whole Grains

• Whole wheat
• Whole oats/oatmeal
• Whole-grain corn
• Popcorn
• Brown wild rice
• Whole rye
• Whole-grain barley
• Buckwheat
• Bulgur (cracked wheat)

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Vary Your Veggies

• Eat 3 cups of vegetables a day.
• Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried vegetables or
  vegetable juice.
• 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables is about the size
  of a clenched fist.
• 2 cups of leafy greens 1 cup in the Vegetable
  Group
• Select from all five vegetable subgroups several
  times a week.

based on 2,200 calorie diet
10
Dark Green Vegetables

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Most greens
• collards
• turnip greens
• mustard greens
• green leafy lettuce
• Romaine lettuce
• kale

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Orange Vegetables

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Winter squash
• Pumpkin

12
Legumes

• Dry beans and peas
• Chickpeas
• Pinto beans
• Kidney beans
• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Soybeans
• Split peas
• Lentils

Dry beans, peas and soybeans are in both the Meat
Beans and the Vegetable Groups.
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Starchy Vegetables

• White potatoes
• Corn
• Green peas

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Other Vegetables

• Tomatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Peppers
• Summer squash
• Green beans
• Cauliflower
• Mushrooms

15
Focus on Fruits

• Eat 2 cups of fruit a day.
• 1 cup from the Fruit Group
• 1 cup fruit
• 1 cup 100 fruit juice
• 1/2 cup dried fruit
• Select fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit,
  more often than fruit juice.
• Think color! The more color, the more nutrients!

based on 2,200 calorie diet
16
Get Calcium-Rich Foods

• Eat or drink 3 cups from the Milk Group every
  day.
• 1 cup from the Milk Group
• 1 cup milk (8 oz.)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1-1/2 oz. natural cheese (the size of two
  dominoes)
• 2 oz. processed cheese(two slices)
• Choose fat-free or low-fat.

based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Go Lean with Protein

• Eat 6 oz. of Meat Beans a day.
• 1 oz. from the Meat Bean Group
• 1 oz. lean meat, poultry or fish
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/4 cup cooked dry beans
• 1/2 oz. nuts or seeds
• Make lean choices.
• Vary your choices. Try fish, eggs, beans, peas,
  nuts, and seeds.
• Bake, broil or grill meat.

based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Oils

• Limit your oils to 6 tsp. (2 Tbsp.) a day.
• Oils includes fats from many different plants and
  fish that are liquid at room temperature
• Canola, corn, olive, soybean and sunflower oil.
• Some foods are naturally high in oils
• Nuts, olives, some fish and avocados.
• Foods that are mainly oils include
• Mayonnaise, certain salad dressings and soft
  margarine.
• Check Nutrition Facts labels to keep saturated
  fats, trans fats and sodium low.

based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Moderation Message

• The bands are narrower at the top to symbolize
  foods containing more added sugars and fat.

• The bands are wider at the bottom to represent
  foods with less fat and added sugar.

• Eat less of the foods at the top and more of
  those at the bottom.
• Think whole-grain cereal vs. cookies, broiled
  chicken vs. breaded and fried, etc.

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Moderation Examples
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Nutrient-Dense Foods

• Nutrient-dense foods contain substantial amounts
  of vitamins and minerals for relatively few
  calories.
• Too many foods that do little to meet nutrient
  needs may put your health at risk. When choosing
  foods look for
• Low-fat varieties.
• Little to no added sugars.

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Discretionary Calorie Allowance

• The extras are the amount of calories you can
  eat after choosing the recommended amount of
  nutrient-dense foods in each food group.
• Discretionary calories may come from
• Higher-fat foods.
• Foods with added sugars.
• Adding fat or sugar to foods or beverages.
• Eating more foods from the food groups.
• Calories from most fats and added sugars are
  discretionary calories.

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Examples of Discretionary Calories

• High-Fat Snacks Amount Calories
• Potato chips 17 chips 150
• Flavored crackers 8 crackers 140
• Cream-filled cake 1 cake 140
• Candy bar 1 bar 280
• Peanut butter cup 2 cups 220
• Fruit pie (cherry) 1 pie 460
• Carmel corn 3/4 cup 140
• Peanuts 1/3 cup 170

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Personalization Message

• PersonalizationThe person on the steps, the
  name, and the tagline all mean you can make
  this plan one that works for YOU.

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MyPyramid.gov Homepage
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Gradual Improvement Message

• Gradual ImprovementSmall changes add up. Find
  your balancebetween food andphysical activity.

• MyPyramid shows that you can benefit from taking
  small steps to improve your diet and lifestyle
  each day.

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Get Movin

• Situation Youre already eating fewer calories
  and are still not losing much weight.

• Solution Kick up the level of physical activity
• Skate or bike instead of driving.
• Go for a walk with a friend instead of talking on
  the phone.
• Take the stairs.

Walking up stairs burns almost five times more
calories than riding the elevator.
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Fruit Veggies

• Situation Youre not eating many fruits or
  vegetables.

• Solution Eat larger servings or snack on fruits
  and vegetables.
• Eat a can of mandarin oranges as a snack.
• Have a frozen 100 juice bar for dessert.
• Add strawberries or blueberries to your cereal.
• Have veggies and low-fat dip.

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What is Whole Grain?

• Situation Youre not sure what foods are whole
  grain and where to find them.

• Solution Look at food package labels.
• Find the ingredient list, the grain listed
  (wheat, oats, etc.) should have the word whole
  in front of it.
• Try whole-grain breakfast cereal, rolls, pasta,
  pita bread, brown rice and more.

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Veggie Variety

• Situation There is little variety in your
  vegetables.

• Solution
• Grab baby carrots, sugar peas or grape tomatoes
  for a snack.
• Add veggies to lettuce or pasta salads, such as
  red or green peppers or broccoli.
• Top pizza with spinach and mushrooms.
• Put cucumbers, shredded carrots or red cabbage
  inside your favorite sandwich or wrap.

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Teen Food Trends

• Over the past 20 years, teen obesity has
  doubled.
• 15.5 of teens are obese.
• 33 of the calories teens eat are from food
  eaten away from home.
• 10 of the calories teens eat are from fast
  food.
• Less than 1 of teens eat the minimum
  requirements of all food groups.

Source American Dietetics Association and
MediaWise
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Teen Food Trends

• 25 of the vegetable calories teens eat come
  from French fries.
• Only 20 of female teens and 50 of male teens
  get enough daily calcium.
• The average teen spends 20 hours watching TV
  each week.
• While watching TV, the metabolic rate seems to be
  lower than during rest. So a person burns fewer
  calories watching TV than sitting doing nothing.

Source American Dietetics Association and
MediaWise
33
Steps to a Healthier YOU!

• Start small
• Eat a serving of fruit or vegetable for a snack.
• Stay active - Take the stairs when its three
  flights or less.
• Order whole-wheat bread for your sandwich.
• Pick strategies that work for you.
• See your successes... ...build upon them.
• Feel the power and pleasure of taking care of you.

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Apply What Youve Learned
Choose one of the following activities to
complete outside of class.

• Design a poster that encourages teens to do one
  of the following
• Eat their daily portions from all or one of the
  food groups.
• Become more physically active every day.
• Write a public service announcement on one of the
  following attributes of the USDAs MyPyramid
• One of the six main messages in the symbol/logo.
• One of the food groups.
• Create a flyer that explains to teens one of the
  following about the USDAs MyPyramid
• The five main food groups.
• The six main messages in the symbol/logo.
• Plan a menu for a week that includes all the
  principles of the USDAs MyPyramid (go to
  MyPyramid.gov for help with your menu).
• Use your age, gender and activity level to find
  your daily calorie level.
• Use your calorie level to plan your menu.

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MyPyramid Quiz

• 1. What does the figure going up the steps of
  MyPyramid symbolize?
• 2. Why is it called MyPyramid?
• 3. Why are the bands of the food groups
  different sizes?
• 4. Name the food groups and their corresponding
  colors.
• 5. What type of grains are recommended for at
  least half of your selections from the Grain
  Group?
• 6. Why are the food group bands of MyPyramid
  wide at the bottom and narrow at the top?
• 7. What two parts of MyPyramid symbolize the
  ways you can make gradual improvements every day?
• 8. Name two ways you can take Steps to a
  Healthier YOU!

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Adapted with permission from materials developed
by

• Alice Henneman, M.S., R.D. University of
  Nebraska Lincoln Extension and
• Beverly Benes, PhD., R.D. University of Nebraska
  Lincoln Department of Nutrition and Health
  SciencesEdited byJackie Getting, M.S.

Based on information published by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion.