The Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day.  It's not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that's right for you.

The Pyramid calls for eating a cariety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time, the right amount of calories to maintain or improve your weight.  The Pyramid also focuses on fat because most American diets are too high in fat, especially saturated fat.

Click here for the pyramid and more information.

Looking at the Pieces of the Pyramid
The Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes foods from the five major food groups shown in the three lower sections of the Pyramid.  Each of thses food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients you need.  Foods in one group can't replace those in another.  No one food group os more important than another-for good health, you need them all.

The small tip of the Pyramid shows fats, oils and sweets.  These are foods such as salad dressings and oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts.  these foods provide calories and little else nutritionally.  Most people should use them sparingly.

The second level of the Food Guide Pyramid are two groups of foods that come mostly from animals: milk, yogurt, cheese, meat , poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts.  Thses foods are for protein, calcium, iron and zinc.

The third level includes foods that come from plants: vegetables and fruit.  Most people need to eat more of these foods for the vitamins, minerals and fiber they supply.

At the base of the Food Guide Pyramid are breads, cereals, rice and pasta-all foods from grains.  You need the servings of these foods each day to provide niacin and fiber.