AY Honors/Food pyramid

The food pyramid guide is updated and published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 2005 version is shown here:

2005 Version of the USDA Food Pyramid

With the updated version, the USDA did away with "number of servings" criteria, and replaced it with a web-based tool that features individualized plans and statistics. The tool can be found at mypyramidtracker.gov. This tool also allows a person to enter a daily food diary, analyze nutrient intake, and can compare an individual's diet with the food pyramid recommendations. Other improvements to the pyramid include the replacement of "serving size" with the more objective "cups."

Following the food pyramid helps ensure that a person gets a balanced and varied diet. To know the recommendations for a particular individual using the current version of the USDA food pyramid, you must first go to MyPyramid.gov and enter the Pathfinder's profile (age, sex, and physical activity). This will tell you how much of each food category the Pathfinder should eat.

The values in the table below are for children who are physically active for 60 minutes or more per day. Use the USDA website for adults and for less active children.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Food pyramid chart