Food Guide Pyramid

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Food Guide Pyramid

¹ What is the meaning of eating healthy? It's not only about eating every type of food, but also about eating the right portion of every type of food. To help Americans understand how to maintain a balanced diet, scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services did a joint study and developed what is commonly known as the food guide pyramid. The first release of it came into effect in 1992, followed by a slight revision in 1996.

² In both versions of the food guide pyramid, there were four layers to hold six different food groups. The six different food groups are --

Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta
Vegetables
Fruits
Milk, yogurt, and cheese
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts
Fats, oils, and sweets

³ Scientists placed one food category each on both the top-end and the base of the food guide pyramid. Then, they split the two middle layers into four compartments and designated one compartment for each of the four remaining food types. The end result looked like this: