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MyPyramid symbolizes a
simple, personalized
approach to making
healthy food choices and
being active every day.
MyPyramid was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
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Anatomy of MyPyramid
There are six main messages in MyPyramid:
Activity
Moderation
Proportion
Variety
Personalization
Gradual Improvement
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Activity Message
Activity
is represented by the
steps and the person
climbing them.
Recommendations for
daily calorie levels are
based on gender, age
and activity level.
Teens should be physically active for 60 minutes every day.
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Activity
Sedentary
30 min. or less of
physical activity
in addition to daily
activities.
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Moderately Active
30-60 min. of
physical activity
in addition to daily
activities.
Active
60 min. or more of
physical activity
in addition to daily
activities.
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Variety Message
Variety
is depicted in the
color bands of the
different food groups.
Foods from all groups are
needed every day.
GRAINS
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VEGETABLES
FRUITS
O
I
L
S
MILK
MEAT &
BEANS
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Proportion Message
Proportion
is shown by the different
widths of the food group
bands. The wider the band,
the greater proportion of
your diet should come from
that food group.
GRAINS
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VEGETABLES
FRUITS
O
I
L
S
MILK
MEAT &
BEANS
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Make Half Your Grains Whole
Eat 7 oz. of Grains each day.*
1 oz. from the Grain Group =
•
•
•
•
•
1 slice of bread
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup cooked cereal
1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
1/2 “mini” bagel
Make at least half your grain
choices whole-grain.
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Whole Grains
Whole wheat
Whole oats/oatmeal
Whole-grain corn
Popcorn
Brown & wild rice
Whole rye
Whole-grain barley
Buckwheat
Bulgur (cracked wheat)
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Vary Your Veggies
Eat 3 cups of vegetables a day.*
•
Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried
vegetables or vegetable juice.
•
1 cup raw or cooked vegetables is
about the size of a clenched fist.
•
2 cups of leafy greens = 1 cup in the
Vegetable Group
Select from all five vegetable
subgroups several times a week.
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Dark Green Vegetables
Broccoli
Spinach
Most greens:
•
•
•
•
•
•
collards
turnip greens
mustard greens
green leafy lettuce
Romaine lettuce
kale
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Orange Vegetables
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Winter squash
Pumpkin
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Legumes
Dry beans and peas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chickpeas
Pinto beans
Kidney beans
Black beans
Garbanzo beans
Soybeans
Split peas
Lentils
Dry beans, peas and
soybeans are in both
the Meat & Beans and
the Vegetable Groups.
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Starchy Vegetables
White potatoes
Corn
Green peas
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Other Vegetables
Tomatoes
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Lettuce
Onions
Peppers
Summer squash
Green beans
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
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Focus on Fruits
Eat 2 cups of fruit a day.*
1 cup from the Fruit Group =
•
•
•
1 cup fruit
1 cup 100% fruit juice
1/2 cup dried fruit
Select fresh, frozen, canned,
or dried fruit, more often than
fruit juice.
Think color! The more color,
the more nutrients!
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Get Calcium-Rich Foods
Eat or drink 3 cups from the Milk
Group every day.*
1 cup from the Milk Group =
•
•
•
•
1 cup milk (8 oz.)
1 cup yogurt
1-1/2 oz. natural cheese
(the size of two dominoes)
2 oz. processed cheese
(two slices)
Choose fat-free
or low-fat.
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Go Lean with Protein
Eat 6 oz. of Meat & Beans a day.*
1 oz. from the Meat & Bean Group =
•
•
•
•
•
1 oz. lean meat, poultry or fish
1 egg
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup cooked dry beans
1/2 oz. nuts or seeds
Make lean choices.
Vary your choices. Try fish, eggs,
beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
Bake, broil or
grill meat.
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Oils
Limit your oils to 6 tsp. (2 Tbsp.) a day.*
Oils includes fats from many different plants and
fish that are liquid at room temperature:
•
Canola, corn, olive, soybean and sunflower oil.
Some foods are naturally high in oils:
•
Nuts, olives, some fish and avocados.
Foods that are mainly oils include:
•
Mayonnaise, certain salad dressings and soft margarine.
Check Nutrition Facts labels to keep saturated
fats, trans fats and sodium low.
* based on 2,200 calorie diet
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Moderation Message
The bands are narrower
at the top to symbolize
foods containing more
added sugars and fat.
Donut
The bands are wider at
the bottom to represent
foods with less fat and
added sugar.
Eat less of the foods at
the top and more of those
at the bottom.
Think whole-grain cereal vs. cookies,
broiled chicken vs. breaded and fried, etc.
Whole-Wheat Bagel
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Moderation Examples
French Fries
Breaded Chicken
Donut
Nuggets
Whole-Wheat
Bagel
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Baked
Potato
Grilled Chicken
Breast
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Nutrient-Dense Foods
Nutrient-dense foods contain substantial amounts of
vitamins and minerals for relatively few calories.
Too many foods that do little to meet nutrient needs may
put your health at risk. When choosing foods look for:
•
•
Low-fat varieties.
Little to no added sugars.
Low-fat/low-calorie options
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High-fat/high-calorie options
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Discretionary Calorie Allowance
The “extras” are the amount of calories you can
eat after choosing the recommended amount of
nutrient-dense foods in each food group.
Discretionary calories may come from:
•
•
•
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Higher-fat foods.
Foods with added sugars.
Adding fat or sugar to foods or beverages.
Eating more foods from the food groups.
Calories from most fats and added
sugars are discretionary calories.
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Examples of Discretionary Calories
High-Fat Snacks
Amount
Calories
Potato chips
17 chips
150
Flavored crackers
8 crackers
140
Cream-filled cake
1 cake
140
Candy bar
1 bar
280
Peanut butter cup
2 cups
220
Fruit pie (cherry)
1 pie
460
Carmel corn
3/4 cup
140
Peanuts
1/3 cup
170
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Personalization Message
Personalization
The person on the
steps, the name, and
the tagline all mean you
can make this plan one
that works for YOU.
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MyPyramid.gov Homepage
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Gradual Improvement Message
Gradual Improvement
Small changes add up.
Find your balance
between food and
physical activity.
MyPyramid shows that
you can benefit from
taking small steps to
improve your diet and
lifestyle each day.
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Get Movin’
Situation: You’re already
eating fewer calories and are
still not losing much weight.
Solution: Kick up the level of
physical activity:
•
•
Skate or bike instead of driving.
•
Take the stairs.
Go for a walk with a friend
instead of talking on the phone.
Walking up stairs burns almost five times
more calories than riding the elevator.
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Fruit & Veggies
Situation: You’re not eating
many fruits or vegetables.
Solution: Eat larger servings
or snack on fruits and
vegetables.
•
•
•
•
Eat a can of mandarin
oranges as a snack.
Have a frozen 100% juice
bar for dessert.
Add strawberries or
blueberries to your cereal.
Have veggies and low-fat dip.
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What is Whole Grain?
Situation: You’re not sure
what foods are whole grain
and where to find them.
Solution: Look at food
package labels.
•
•
Find the ingredient list, the
grain listed (wheat, oats,
etc.) should have the word
“whole” in front of it.
Try whole-grain breakfast
cereal, rolls, pasta, pita
bread, brown rice and more.
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Veggie Variety
Situation: There is little
variety in your vegetables.
Solution:
•
•
•
•
Grab baby carrots, sugar peas or
grape tomatoes for a snack.
Add veggies to lettuce or pasta
salads, such as red or green
peppers or broccoli.
Top pizza with spinach and
mushrooms.
Put cucumbers, shredded
carrots or red cabbage inside
your favorite sandwich or wrap.
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Teen Food Trends
Over the past 20 years,
teen obesity has doubled.
•
15.5% of teens are obese.
33% of the calories teens eat
are from food eaten away from home.
10% of the calories teens eat are from
fast food.
Less than 1% of teens eat the minimum
requirements of all food groups.
Source: American Dietetics Association and MediaWise
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Teen Food Trends
25% of the vegetable calories
teens eat come from French fries.
Only 20% of female teens
and 50% of male teens get
enough daily calcium.
The average teen spends 20 hours watching
TV each week.
•
While watching TV, the metabolic rate seems to be
lower than during rest. So a person burns fewer
calories watching TV than sitting doing nothing.
Source: American Dietetics Association and MediaWise
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Steps to a Healthier YOU!
Start small:
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•
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Eat a serving of fruit or
vegetable for a snack.
Stay active - Take the stairs
when it’s three flights or less.
Order whole-wheat bread for
your sandwich.
Pick strategies that work for you.
See your successes...
...build upon them.
Feel the power and pleasure of
taking care of you.
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Apply What You’ve Learned
Choose one of the following activities to complete outside of class.
Design a poster that encourages teens to do one of the following:
•
•
Eat their daily portions from all or one of the food groups.
Become more physically active every day.
Write a public service announcement on one of the following
attributes of the USDA’s MyPyramid:
•
•
One of the six main messages in the symbol/logo.
One of the food groups.
Create a flyer that explains to teens one of the following about the
USDA’s MyPyramid:
•
•
The five main food groups.
The six main messages in the symbol/logo.
Plan a menu for a week that includes all the principles of the
USDA’s MyPyramid (go to MyPyramid.gov for help with your menu).
•
•
Use your age, gender and activity level to find your daily calorie level.
Use your calorie level to plan your menu.
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MyPyramid Quiz
1. What does the figure going up the
steps of MyPyramid symbolize?
2. Why is it called MyPyramid?
3. Why are the bands of the food groups different sizes?
4. Name the food groups and their corresponding colors.
5. What type of grains are recommended for at least half
of your selections from the Grain Group?
6. Why are the food group bands of MyPyramid wide at the
bottom and narrow at the top?
7. What two parts of MyPyramid symbolize the ways you
can make gradual improvements every day?
8. Name two ways you can take Steps to a Healthier YOU!
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Adapted with permission from materials developed by:
Alice Henneman, M.S., R.D.
University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension
and
Beverly Benes, PhD., R.D.
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences
Edited by:
Jackie Getting, M.S.
Based on information published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
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