Fruits and vegetables take center stage in new government food pyramid
Fruits and vegetables take center stage in new government food pyramid
NEWARK, DE -- Fruits and vegetables are the centerpiece of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new food guidance system that will be used to help the public understand and use the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and make more healthful choices among the foods they eat, including greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The system, MyPyramid "Steps to a Healthier You," illustrates the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet by using two of the six color bands. "This is great," Kathy Means, vice president of government relations for the Produce Marketing Association, said in an April 19 statement. "In our comments to USDA, we stressed that produce had to be featured prominently in any dietary guidance graphic, and we're thrilled to see that happen. It's important that we use the version of the graphic that includes the depiction of fruits and vegetables in addition to the color bands so that consumers quickly grasp what they're supposed to do. The graphic without the food depictions is less clear about the actions consumers should take."
The new system expresses daily intake amounts in volume measures (e.g. a cup or half-cup). "We commend USDA for using language that clearly conveys the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. This speaks to consumers in their own language and helps them understand exactly how much produce they should be eating each day," Ms. Means said.
MyPyramid "Steps to a Healthier You" replaces the Food Guide Pyramid, which was developed in 1992. In the new graphic, each of the food groups is represented by color bands. Unlike the previous graphic that contained images of and daily serving amounts for each of the food groups, the new three-dimensional icon instead utilizes six color bands to represent the food groups. Grains are orange, vegetables are green, fruits are red, milk is blue, meat and beans are purple, and oils are yellow.
The new graphic emphasizes proportionality by varying the width of the bands, made especially clear by the narrow width of the "oils" band. "Again, produce comes out the winner when you look at the width of the green and red bands combined. We are one-third of the new pyramid, and rightly so," said Ms. Means.
"We're certainly hopeful that the government will use it extensive communications power to get the word out and industry can do its part, too," she added. "This is a great tool that highlights our industry's products and has the science-based credibility of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Now we need to translate awareness and education into behavior for the health of the country and the health of our industry."
The system, MyPyramid "Steps to a Healthier You," illustrates the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet by using two of the six color bands. "This is great," Kathy Means, vice president of government relations for the Produce Marketing Association, said in an April 19 statement. "In our comments to USDA, we stressed that produce had to be featured prominently in any dietary guidance graphic, and we're thrilled to see that happen. It's important that we use the version of the graphic that includes the depiction of fruits and vegetables in addition to the color bands so that consumers quickly grasp what they're supposed to do. The graphic without the food depictions is less clear about the actions consumers should take."
The new system expresses daily intake amounts in volume measures (e.g. a cup or half-cup). "We commend USDA for using language that clearly conveys the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. This speaks to consumers in their own language and helps them understand exactly how much produce they should be eating each day," Ms. Means said.
MyPyramid "Steps to a Healthier You" replaces the Food Guide Pyramid, which was developed in 1992. In the new graphic, each of the food groups is represented by color bands. Unlike the previous graphic that contained images of and daily serving amounts for each of the food groups, the new three-dimensional icon instead utilizes six color bands to represent the food groups. Grains are orange, vegetables are green, fruits are red, milk is blue, meat and beans are purple, and oils are yellow.
The new graphic emphasizes proportionality by varying the width of the bands, made especially clear by the narrow width of the "oils" band. "Again, produce comes out the winner when you look at the width of the green and red bands combined. We are one-third of the new pyramid, and rightly so," said Ms. Means.
"We're certainly hopeful that the government will use it extensive communications power to get the word out and industry can do its part, too," she added. "This is a great tool that highlights our industry's products and has the science-based credibility of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Now we need to translate awareness and education into behavior for the health of the country and the health of our industry."
