A food pyramid is a representation of the optimal number of servings to be eaten each day from each of the basic food groups.[2] The first pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974.[3][4][5] The 1992 pyramid introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was called the "Food Guide Pyramid" or "Eating Right Pyramid". It was updated in 2005 to "MyPyramid", and then it was replaced by "MyPlate" in 2011.[6][7]
history of the usda food pyramid
Amid high food prices in 1972, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare developed the idea of "basic foods" that were both cheap and nutritious, and "supplemental foods" that added nutrition missing from the basic foods. Anna-Britt Agnsäter, chief of the "test kitchen" for Kooperativa Förbundet (a cooperative Swedish retail chain), held a lecture the next year on how to illustrate these food groups. Attendee Fjalar Clemes suggested a triangle displaying basic foods at the base. Agnsäter developed the idea into the first food pyramid, which was introduced to the public in 1974 in KF's Vi magazine.[3][4][5] The pyramid was divided into basic foods at the base, including milk, cheese, margarine, bread, cereals and potato; a large section of supplemental vegetables and fruit; and an apex of supplemental meat, fish and egg. The pyramid competed with the National Board's "dietary circle", which KF saw as problematic for resembling a cake divided into seven slices, and for not indicating how much of each food should be eaten. While the Board distanced itself from the pyramid, KF continued to promote it.
The World Health Organization, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization, published guidelines that can be effectively represented in a food pyramid relating to objectives in order to prevent obesity, improper nutrition, chronic diseases and dental caries based on meta-analysis [8][9] though they represent it as a table rather than as a "pyramid". The structure is similar in some respects to the USDA food pyramid, but there are clear distinctions between types of fats, and a more dramatic distinction where carbohydrates are categorized on the basis of free sugars versus sugars in their natural form. Some food substances are singled out due to the impact on the target issues that the "pyramid" is meant to address. In a later revision, however, some recommendations are omitted as they automatically follow other recommendations while other sub-categories are added. The reports quoted here explain that where there is no stated lower limit in the table below, there is no requirement for that nutrient in the diet.
The USDA food pyramid was created in 1992 and divided into six horizontal sections containing depictions of foods from each section's food group. It was updated in 2005 with colorful vertical wedges replacing the horizontal sections and renamed MyPyramid. MyPyramid was often displayed with the food images absent, creating a more abstract design.In an effort to restructure food nutrition guidelines, the USDA rolled out its new MyPlate program in June 2011. My Plate is divided into four slightly different sized quadrants, with fruits and vegetables taking up half the space, and grains and protein making up the other half. The vegetables and grains portions are the largest of the four.
Some of the recommended quantities for the different types of food in the old pyramid have also come under criticism for lack of clarity. For instance, the pyramid recommends two to three servings from the protein-rich group, but this is intended to be a maximum. The pyramid recommends two to four fruit servings, but this is intended to be the minimum.[18]
Several books have claimed that food and agricultural associations exert undue political power on the USDA.[29][30] Food industries, such as milk companies, have been accused of influencing the United States Department of Agriculture into making the colored spots on the newly created food pyramid larger for their particular product. The milk section has been claimed to be the easiest to see out of the six sections of the pyramid, making individuals believe that more milk should be consumed on a daily basis compared to the others.[31] Furthermore, the inclusion of milk as a group unto itself implies that is an essential part of a healthy diet, despite the many people who are lactose intolerant or choose to abstain from dairy, and a number of cultures that have historically consumed little if any dairy products. Joel Fuhrman says in his book Eat to Live that U.S. taxpayers must contribute $20 billion on price supports to artificially reduce the price of cattle feed to benefit the dairy, beef and veal industries, and then pay the medical bills for an overweight population.[32] He asks if the USDA is under the influence of the food industry, because a food pyramid based on science would have vegetables at its foundation.[32]
MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture, depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, concluding 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams.
The introduction of the USDA's food guide pyramid in 1992 attempted to express the recommended servings of each food group, which previous guides did not do. 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta occupied the large base of the pyramid; followed by 3 to 5 servings of vegetables; then fruits (2 to 4); then milk, yogurt and cheese (2 to 3); followed by meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts (2 to 3); and finally fats, oils and sweets in the small apex (to be used sparingly). Inside each group were several images of representative foods, as well as symbols representing the fat and sugar contents of the foods.[9]
A modified food pyramid was proposed for adults aged over 70.[10] This "Modified Food Pyramid for 70+ Adults" accounted for changing diets with age by emphasizing water consumption as well as nutrient-dense and high-fiber foods.
In 2005, the USDA updated its guide with MyPyramid, which replaced the hierarchical levels of the Food Guide Pyramid with colorful vertical wedges, often displayed without images of foods, creating a more abstract design. Stairs were added up the left side of the pyramid with an image of a climber to represent a push for exercise. The share of the pyramid allotted to grains now only narrowly edged out vegetables and milk, which were of equal proportions. Fruits were next in size, followed by a narrower wedge for protein and a small sliver for oils. An unmarked white tip represented discretionary calories for items such as candy, alcohol, or additional food from any other group.[11]
MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture,[12] consisting of a diagram of a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid diagram on June 2, 2011, ending 19 years of food pyramid iconography.[13] The diagram shows a plate divided into four wedges, with the two slightly larger ones representing vegetables and grains and the two slightly smaller ones representing protein and fruits, and with a circle adjacent to represent dairy (e.g. a glass of milk). The guide is displayed on food packaging and used in nutritional education in the United States.
The USDA food pyramid received a redesign in 2005. Instead of a top-to-bottom construction, lengthwise slivers made up the new food pyramid, with five slivers for each food group. A slim band for oils was added as well, separating it from the fats and sweets it was previously grouped with.
The Food Wheel: The Dietary Guidelines for America were first released in 1980. Its nutrition advice was visualized as a food wheel. The pyramid many of us grew up with came later. American Red Cross/USDA hide caption
The Dietary Guidelines as we know them today were born of this era. First published in 1980, they were (and still are) supposed to be based on a review of the latest nutritional science. Back then, they emphasized a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. First visualized as a food wheel, the guidelines later took the form of the food pyramid many of us grew up with.
With the obesity epidemic in full swing, this update to the food pyramid tried to emphasize the importance of exercise along with a healthy diet. The vertical wedges were supposed to indicate how much to eat of each food groups, but visually, it's a jumble: It looks like someone spilled the contents of a dinner table on the floor. Even worse was this bare-bones version of MyPyramid, which ditches the food images altogether. Without visual or written cues, just how are you supposed to know that blue is for milk?
If you grew up in the United States, you might remember the food pyramid: a black pyramid divided up into six sections with little pictures of food in each block. But much like the ancient Egyptian pyramids, the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid has changed over time. Today it looks completely different than it did when it was first created.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid was developed in 1992 to help Americans structure how they ate. And it was helpful, but not entirely accurate or clear, so in 2005 the food pyramid got revised to become a food guide called MyPyramid.
The intermediate stage in the history of cooling foods was to add chemicals like sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate to water causing the temperature to fall. Cooling wine via this method was recorded in 1550, as were the words "to refrigerate." The evolution to mechanical refrigeration, a compressor with refrigerant, was a long, slow process and was introduced in the last quarter of the 19th century.
Another thought that may pop into your head as you look at the old food pyramid is what some critics describe as the 'bread basket' at the base, which recommends 6-11 servings of grains per day. In this carb-phobic world, this may sound like a lot. Nowadays, the guidelines recommend about 6 ounces of grains for someone eating 2,000 calories per day.Not only was the old food pyramid a little heavy on grains, it didn't make any specific recommendation to eat whole grains. Nutrient-rich whole grains (think oatmeal and quinoa) contain antioxidants, fiber and important vitamins. In addition, individuals who eat more whole grains enjoy a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. 2ff7e9595c
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