A visual guide to daily food choices based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This was developed by the USDA.
Graphic representation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) dietary guidelines that displays complex carbohydrates at the base to emphasize their contribution to the daily diet and fats and sweets at the top.
The Food Guide Pyramid provides a specific set of recommendations for consuming an adequate diet without excess intake of energy, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugars, sodium, and alcohol. The Pyramid was developed as a practical representation of food selection for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is described in the entry on dietary recommendations for athletes. Although more specific than the basic dietary guidelines, a major strength of the Pyramid is that it allows the user a high degree of freedom to make selections that fit his or her personal beliefs, tastes, financial status, and other factors affecting dietary intake.
A chart developed by the US Department of Agriculture to illustrate the relative amounts of the different foods that should be consumed daily to achieve a balanced diet. The Food Guide Pyramid promotes balanced meals, moderation, and variety in food choices, with special emphasis given to grain products and vegetables. The pyramid image is used to represent relative amounts that individuals should consume from each food group. The revised pyramid published in 2005 is divided into vertical segments, with grains (bread, cereal, rice, pasta) and vegetables the segments with the most daily servings. The pyramid divides foods into five groups and indicates how many servings (newly stated in ounces or cups) from each group should be eaten daily.
Recommendations developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for planning a balanced diet. Foods are divided into six groups: bread, cereal, rice, and pasta; fruits; vegetables; milk, yogurt, and cheese; meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts; and fats, oils, and sweets. The guide recommends the number of servings for each food group.
A graph that groups foods according to types and indicates how many servings of each type should be eaten daily.