The New And Improved Nutrition Pyramid

By: Kirsten Hawkins

Just when you were getting the Nutrition Pyramid down to an
exact science, the USDA goes and releases an all new nutrition
and diet plan for healthy Americans. On April 19, 2005, the
United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its new My
Pyramid nutrition pyramid. Available at its own web site (http://www.mypyramid.gov), the
new guidelines aren't so much NEW as they are more in depth,
detailed and helpful.

For starters, My Pyramid can be personalized. On the main page,
you have the option of entering your age, gender and activity
level. Simply click "submit" and get a recommendation that's
more specific than '6-11 servings of grain per day'. Instead of
those vague, wide-ranging recommendations, you'll get a pyramid
that says, "6 ounces of grain products", or 2 1/2 cups
vegetables.

Even if that were the ONLY improvement on the new site, it would
be tremendous. No more guessing whether you should aim for
closer to six servings or closer to eleven. The nutrition
calculator factors in your age, gender and activity level (above
your normal daily routine) to come up with a recommended caloric
intake. From there, it breaks down the calories by food group,
and tells you exactly how much of each group you should eat per
day for a healthy diet. It's far easier to figure out what 2
cups of milk is than it is to figure out how much '3-5' servings
of dairy is!

But it doesn't stop there. Beneath the pyramid chart with the
specific serving sizes on it, you'll find a list of links to
'tips' for making the healthiest choices from each food group -
divided by food group.

There are some great diet tips there, along with ways to serve
foods in appetizing and nutritious ways. A sampling from each
category includes:

* Grain: Substitute whole grain cereal for bread crumbs in
toppings. * Vegetables: Try crunchy vegetables raw or lightly
steamed. * Fruits: Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for
oil in baking. * Milk: Trim down from whole milk to fat-free
gradually, week by week. * Meat/Beans: Replace some of the meat
in your diet with nuts.

Want to know how your actual diet stacks up against the dietary
guidelines and get specific, personalized recommendations for
improving it? Tucked away at the bottom of the list of links in
the menu you'll find the My Pyramid Tracker. It's easily the
handiest tool that I've ever seen. Enter the foods that you eat
in a typical day, click Analyze, and you'll get a detailed
analysis that includes the calories, the amount of over 25
specific nutrients, the difference between your diet and an
optimum diet, and specific recommendations for changes you
should make to eat a healthier diet. Better yet, you can save
your history day by day to keep track of your eating habits and
watch the improvements. It's the diet diary with a difference.
Use it - and see yourself eating better every day.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.