Foundations of Nutrition:
MyPyramid
California Healthy Kids Resource Center
(C.H.K.R.C.)
Partner: California Department of
Education, Nutrition Services Division
Hello. Welcome to the Foundations of Nutrition: MyPyramid training. I will be
guiding you through the recommendations of the MyPyramid Food Guidance
System developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, or the
U.S.D.A. This training was developed with funding from the Network for a
Healthy California and adapted from a module developed by the California
Department of Education. It will take about 30 minutes to complete, so let's
get started!
1
MyPyramid Objectives
After this training you will be able to:
• Identify the MyPyramid recommendations.
• Use the MyPyramid recommendations to
create a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
• Access lessons and resources to bring
MyPyramid concepts into your classroom.
Let’s start with the objectives for the training. By the end of this training you
will be able to identify the basic recommendations of the MyPyramid Food
Guidance System, apply these recommendations to create a healthy diet
and active lifestyle, and access resources to take these recommendations
into your classroom.
2
U.S.D.A. Food Guidance History
1992 Food
Guide Pyramid
2005
MyPyramid
What are food guidance systems and who creates them?
The U.S.D.A. develops food guidance systems to promote healthier
lifestyles. Since the 1800s, these food guidance systems have evolved with
expanding nutrition knowledge. At first, guidance systems were designed to
prevent people from getting too little nutrients from their diets; now they
address dietary excess.
The MyPyramid developed in 2005 includes food groups, as did the
original Food Guide Pyramid developed in 1992, and emphasizes six key
recommendations for maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle. We will
be discussing these recommendations in the following slides.
3
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The MyPyramid key recommendations are based on the 2005 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. This connection is important because the dietary
guidelines are developed from current scientific information on lifestyle
factors that reduce chronic disease, such as heart disease and diabetes.
More importantly, the dietary guidelines and MyPyramid promote the overall
health of all Americans over two years of age. MyPyramid does this by
providing recommendations for balancing essential nutrients, such as
carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins and minerals, while appropriately
limiting total calories and other nutrients such as saturated fat, cholesterol,
added sugar, and sodium. Let’s take a closer look.
4
MyPyramid Recommendations
Four Key Recommendations:
• Variety
• Moderation
• Proportionality
• Activity
The first four MyPyramid recommendations are variety, moderation,
proportionality, and activity. These are essential tools to improve the quality
of your diet, maintain a healthy body weight, increase your fitness, and
reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
5
Eat a Variety of Foods
Choose foods from each of the food
groups and a variety of foods from within
the same food group.
Grains
Vegetables
Fruit
O
I
L
S
Milk
(Calcium Foods)
Meat &
Beans
Fill your plate
with variety!
MyPyramid includes food groups that guide how to choose a healthful
variety of food. Choosing foods from each of the food groups and a variety of
foods from within the same food group can ensure you get the nutrients you
need for maintaining good health.
6
Food Group Variety
Choose a variety of foods for complete nutrition.
Grains
Whole Grain
Breads
Whole Grain
Pastas
Whole Grain
Crackers
Breakfast
Cereals
Tortillas
Vegetables
Root
Vegetables
Fruit
Whole Fruit
Leafy
Greens
Legumes
Fruit Salads
Salads
Dried Fruit
Cruciferous
Vegetables
100% Fruit Juice
Oils
Vitamins / Minerals
Fiber
Vitamins / Minerals
Fiber
Essential Oils
Milk
(Calcium Foods)
Dairy Products
Meat &
Beans
Carbohydrates
Vitamins / Minerals
Fiber
Canned
Boney Fish
Fortified Foods
Dark Leafy
Greens
Calcium
Protein
Fiber
Poultry and Beef
Fish
Nuts and Seeds
Beans
As you can see, different food groups provide different nutrients that our
bodies need. Grains provide carbohydrates for energy, while milk and
calcium-rich foods provide calcium for strong bones and teeth. Fruits and
vegetables are sources for fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals
important for immune function and growth and repair of our bodies. Meat
and beans supply protein for building muscles and many other tissues in our
bodies. Because no one food contains all the nutrients you need, select
foods throughout the day and week from the different food groups.
7
Moderation
Choose more nutrient-dense foods and fewer foods
high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium.
Nutrient Comparison
Smoothie
12 ounces fruit-only smoothie
Nutrient
Fruit Drink
160
Calories
170
32
Sugars (g)
48
3
Fiber (g)
0
0
1
Protein (g)
0.5
Fat (g)
0
8
Calcium (%)
0
450
Potassium (mg)
0
10
Vitamin C (%)
0
3
Vitamin D (%)
0
12 ounces fruit drink
Source: Pennington, J.A. (2009). Bowes and Church's
Food Values of Portions Commonly Used.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippencott, Williams, and Wilkins.
The next recommendation, moderation, emphasizes choosing more nutrient-dense
foods within each food group, and limiting foods high in calories, total fat, saturated
fat, added sugar, and sodium so that they don’t crowd out healthier foods. The
healthier nutrient-dense foods contain what your body requires to maintain proper
health.
What are nutrient-dense foods? Let’s use the fruit group as an example. The
smoothie and fruit drink pictured here are nearly equal in calories, however which
one provides the most nutrients? If you said smoothie, you are right. The nutrient
comparison chart shows that the smoothie is more nutrient-dense because for the
same number of calories it delivers more nutrients than the fruit drink, including
more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. When deciding which foods to choose,
check out the Nutrition Facts label and look for higher values of fiber, vitamins, and
minerals.
8
Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods
Nutrient Comparison
Carrot
Sticks
Nutrients
French
Fries
60
Calories
65
10
Sugars (g)
0
4.5
Fiber (g)
0.5
1.5
Protein (g)
0.5
0
Total Fat (g)
0.4
0
Saturated Fat (g)
1.2
40
Calcium (mg)
2.5
465
Potassium (mg)
100
Source: Pennington, J.A. (2009). Bowes and Church's
Food Values of Portions Commonly Used.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippencott, Williams, and Wilkins.
Twenty carrot sticks
Four French fries
Let’s try another example, this time from the vegetable group. Which vegetable is
more nutrient dense, 20 carrot sticks or four French fries? Remember, check the
nutrient comparison chart and maximize fiber, calcium, and potassium while
moderating total fat, saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium. Added sugar is sugar
added to a food and does not include naturally occurring sugar, such as that found
in carrot sticks.
9
The More Nutrient-Dense Choice
Nutrient Comparison
Carrot
Sticks
Nutrients
French
Fries
60
Calories
65
10
Sugars (g)
0
4.5
Fiber (g)
0.5
1.5
Protein (g)
0.5
0
Total Fat (g)
0.4
0
Saturated Fat (g)
1.2
40
Calcium (mg)
2.5
465
Potassium (mg)
100
Source: Pennington, J.A. (2009). Bowes and Church's Food
Values of Portions Commonly Used. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippencott, Williams, and Wilkins.
Twenty carrot sticks
Four French fries
You are correct if you chose carrots as the more nutrient-dense food. Twenty carrot
sticks and four French fries have nearly the same calories, but the carrot sticks
have a greater amount of fiber, protein, calcium, and potassium. The sugar in the
carrots is naturally occurring, not added, and thus does not need to be moderated.
10
Moderate Food Choices in
All the Food Groups
Grains Vegetables
More
Fiber
Vitamins
Minerals
Fruit
Milk and
Calcium
Meat and
Beans
Calcium
Vitamins
Minerals
Protein
Fiber
Vitamins
Minerals
Less
Saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium
Notes
Limit cooking or processing techniques that add
extra fat, sugar, or sodium.
Moderate your food choices in all the food groups. Choose nutrient-dense
foods with more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein, and limit foods higher
in total fat, saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium.
11
Moderate Choice Challenge
For each set choose the more nutrient-dense food.
A) Fruit cocktail in heavy syrup or whole fruit
B) Non-fat yogurt or ice cream
C) Bean soup or beef nachos
Try a few more examples. Identify the nutrient-dense item in each group that best
moderates total fat, saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.
12
Moderate Choices
The more nutrient-dense foods are:
A) Whole fruit
B) Non-fat yogurt
C) Bean soup
The more nutrient-dense foods are whole fruit, non-fat yogurt, and bean soup. The
whole fruit is lower in added sugar compared to the fruit cocktail in heavy syrup.
Non-fat yogurt and ice cream may contain the same amount of nutrients and added
sugar, but the yogurt has less fat and saturated fat. The bean soup is lower in fat
and higher in fiber than the beef nachos.
13
Putting It Into Action
Your class is celebrating students’ birthdays
for the month. You would like students to
apply what they just learned about variety
and moderation.
How could students apply these
recommendations to their celebration?
Let’s consider how you might apply the recommendations to eat a variety of
nutrient-dense foods to a classroom celebration. Your students are going to
celebrate their birthdays for the month. How might they do so and apply the
recommendations for variety and moderation?
14
Action Suggestions
Some healthy celebration suggestions:
•
•
•
•
Consult your students on healthy party ideas.
Have a food-group party.
Do a classroom cooking event.
Make a fruit salad or a smoothie.
These are just a few suggestions to apply the recommendations for variety and
moderation to a classroom party. Start by asking the students to come up with ideas
that complement their knowledge on variety and moderation. For example, have a
food-group party. Have students draw food-group cards and bring a nutrient-dense
food from that group to the party. Classroom cooking is always a treat for students
and can be used to reinforce healthy food choices. If food is part of the celebration,
guide away from the typical low-nutrient, high-sugar cupcakes, and toward a
healthier option such as a fruit salad or a smoothie. The Resource Page following
this training has more suggestions on healthy classroom celebrations, including a
classroom cooking resource.
15
Proportionality
Choose more foods from the larger food groups.
)
Great, we already understand the first two recommendations and you may be
thinking – okay, I know to eat a variety of foods and to limit foods with high calories
and few nutrients, but how much do I need each day to get the nutrients I need?
The third recommendation, proportionality, helps to answer that question.
Which two food groups in this illustration make up the largest part of the graph? If
you said the grains and vegetables, you are right. These groups are the foundation
from which to build a nutrient-dense diet and to get the right quantity of vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber. Foods from the other groups are important too,
but should make up a smaller part of your daily calorie intake as they tend to be
higher in calories, saturated fat, and sugars.
16
Plate Proportion 101
)
Use your plate as a guide.
• Fill half of your plate with
whole grains and vegetables.
• Fill the other half of your plate
with fruits, protein, healthy
fats, and calcium-rich foods.
What do the proportionality recommendations look like on your plate? Fill
half of your plate with grains and vegetables, as these foods offer more
nutrients per calorie. Fill the other half of your plate with choices from the
meat and bean group, milk and calcium group, and fruit group. Use oils
sparingly and choose those low in saturated fats such as nut, seed, and
vegetable oils. It is important to know that the MyPyramid Food Guidance
System defines specific serving sizes for each food group based on gender,
age, activity level, and body weight management goals. A link to these
recommendations can be found on the Resource Page following this
training.
17
Applying What You Know
You’re getting ready for dinner, you think back over
the day. For breakfast you had a muffin and a glass
of milk. For lunch you had a cup of noodle soup, and
for a snack a bunch of grapes.
Choose a dinner that best balances the day and the
meets the recommendations of variety, moderation,
and proportionality.
A) Pasta with white sauce and garlic bread
B) Chicken vegetable kabobs with brown rice
C) Deep fried potatoes and a corn dog
Let’s now apply what you just learned about variety, moderation, and proportionality.
It was a busy day at school. You grabbed a muffin and milk for breakfast, and a
quick cup of noodle soup for lunch, followed later in the day by a bunch of grapes.
Which dinner choice best balances the day and meets the MyPyramid
recommendations for variety, moderation, and proportionality? Use the next slides
to visualize your day’s food choices and to help you answer this question.
18
Grouping Your Food Choices
Which food groups need attention?
)
Look at the food group plate to determine which food groups are not yet
represented with your day’s food choices. Do you notice any gaps?
19
Choose the Best Dinner Option
Respond to the gaps. Select a dinner choice that provides variety by filling in the
missing food groups. Your choice should also provide moderation by not containing
too much total fat, saturated fat, added sugar, or sodium, and proportionality by
filling half of the plate with vegetables and grains.
20
The Best Answer
The chicken vegetable kabobs with brown
rice is the better choice because it provides:
• Variety – vegetables and protein food groups.
• Moderation – nutrient-dense food choices.
• Proportionality – grains and vegetables.
The best answer is chicken vegetable kabobs, because your day was
missing foods from the meat and beans group and the vegetables group.
The chicken vegetable kabobs with brown rice was the healthiest choice
because the vegetables and chicken improve the variety of the day’s food
choices and moderate nutrient density, and the vegetables and rice can be
proportioned to fill half of your plate.
The pasta and garlic bread meal did not provide for a variety of foods. The
deep fried potatoes and corn dog option included foods from the missing
groups, but it did not moderate nutrient density because of its high saturated
fat content.
21
How Much Physical Activity?
Adults - most days:
• 30 minutes moderate physical activity, or
• 15 minutes vigorous physical activity
Children and teens - every day:
• 60 minutes moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
Regular daily physical activity builds muscle strength and bone density and
helps maintain a healthy body weight. It can also improve your mood and
outlook, and is a fun way to be active with your family.
How much physical activity do you need? The recommendation for adults is
to be moderately physically active a minimum of 30 minutes a day for most
days of the week. Moderate physical activity will raise your heart rate but still
allow you to hold a conversation or sing. Vigorous activity will raise your
heart rate and breathing so that a conversation or singing is difficult.
For children ages six to nineteen, the recommendation is for at least 60
minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on all days of the week.
Let’s look at some ways to be physically active.
22
Choose Your Activity
Moderate Activity
Vigorous Activity
• Brisk walking
• Easy-to-moderate hiking
• Gardening or light yard
work
• Leisure bicycling
• Playing with your kids
• Light weight training
• Dancing
•
•
•
•
Fast walking
Running or jogging
Heavy yard work
Moderate-to-intense
bicycling
• Lap swimming
• Heavy weight lifting
• Basketball
Any of these activities count toward your daily physical activity goal. Include
activities that you enjoy in your daily routine for at least ten minutes at a time.
The good news is that if you do three ten-minute activities every day, you will
be meeting the 30-minute daily physical activity recommendation for adults.
Even a little activity has some positive effect, so get up from the computer,
take a walking meeting, bypass the couch for a walk around the block, play
with your kids, clean the house, or do some gardening. You can find out more
about increasing your activity level on the Resource Page following this
training.
23
Finding a Way Challenge
You want to get more physical activity, but
life is busy. Try adding more activity to things
you already do.
Think of two ways to incorporate physical
activity into your schedule.
Life is busy. Finding time for physical activity should be a priority. Try adding more
activity to things you already do. For example, play four square or catch with
students at recess or take a brisk walk. Think of two more ways to incorporate
physical activity into your busy schedule. Remember, ten-minute blocks of physical
activity add to your goal of 30 minutes per day.
24
Ways to Increase Physical Activity
Here are a few more suggestions:
•
•
•
•
Move with your students during physical
education classes.
Walk for 15 minutes during lunch, or start a
walking club with other teachers.
Take walks in the park with your family.
Ride a bike.
Here are just a few suggestions on how you can include physical activity in
your daily schedule. Enjoy the fun by playing alongside your students during
physical activities. Take a walk during lunch and encourage others to join
you. Model a healthy lifestyle for your children by playing with them in the
park and taking them on walks. Strive for more daily physical activity by
trying out any new ideas you have to be active.
25
Personalize Your Plan
Use the MyPyramid Web site to:
• Determine calorie needs
based on gender, age, and
activity level.
• Access several online tools for
personalizing diet and
physical activity levels.
• Download classroom
resources.
Now that we’ve presented four of the MyPyramid key recommendations, let’s
look at the last two recommendations to personalize what you have learned
and to set small goals for improvement. Just as one food doesn’t meet all of
our nutrient needs, one food plan doesn’t fit everybody. So, the MyPyramid
Food Guidance System includes different eating plans based on attributes
like gender, age, weight, and activity level. The U.S.D.A. MyPyramid Web
site provides tools to create a personalized food and physical activity plan
tailored to your needs. The Resource Page following this module also
includes resources for taking MyPyramid into your classroom.
26
MyPyramid Goal-Setting Activity
Gradual Steps to Health
• Take small daily steps to
improve diet and increase
physical activity.
• Set goals that support
gradual improvements.
The final MyPyramid recommendation is to make regular gradual
improvements that will lead to a healthier lifestyle. Learning about the
MyPyramid Food Guidance System is just such a gradual step toward better
health. To continue your efforts, download the Goal Setting handout on this
page and complete it at any time. Allow yourself enough time to think about
the four questions that assess your current dietary status and physical
activity level, and to set personal goals for improvement. You can also use
this handout, along with the other resources listed on the Resource Page, to
teach goal-setting skills in your classroom. By setting specific goals for
improving diet and increasing physical activity, you and your students will be
taking steps toward healthier lifestyles. Keep up the good work!
27
MyPyramid Objectives Review
• Identify the MyPyramid recommendations.
• Use the MyPyramid recommendations to
•
create a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
Access lessons and resources to bring
MyPyramid concepts into your classroom.
Let’s review our objectives for this training. You should now be able to
identify the basic recommendations of the MyPyramid system, apply these
recommendations to create a healthy diet and physically active lifestyle, and
access resources to bring these recommendations into your classroom.
28
Congratulations!
To complete this training, please
follow the link to the quiz.
Partner: California Department of
Education, Nutrition Services Division
This program was developed by the California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division, with funding from The California Endowment.
Revisions were completed with funds from the California Department of Public Health, Network for a Healthy California, funded by the United Sates
Department of Agriculture’s Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program). These institutions are equal opportunity
providers and employers. In California, food stamps provide assistance to low-income households, and can help buy nutritious foods for better health. For
food stamp information, call 1-877-847-3663. For important nutrition information visit www.cachampionsforchange.net
A big and healthy congratulations for completing the Foundations of
Nutrition: MyPyramid training. Thank you for your participation. To receive
your certificate of completion, complete the final steps of this training by
following the quiz link on this page. Upon completing the quiz you will be
given the opportunity to offer feedback using our online survey. Your input is
helpful to continue to improve this and all of our trainings.
Don’t miss the Resource Page following the survey where you will find
additional information on MyPyramid and getting physically active, as well as
resources to help you take MyPyramid into your classroom. Good luck on
the quiz!
29