Food Pyramid
Modern Diet Paper MyPyramid was released in 2005 with the intention of guiding people on how much of each food group they should consume each day. The varying sizes of vertical stripes on the pyramid indicate which food group should be consumed more than the others—grains make up the largest section while the oils group is the smallest. Vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat and beans make up the rest of the pyramid. Moreover, there is a stick figure running up the side of the pyramid to indicate that physical activity is needed in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Thirty minutes of physical activity is recommended for adults while sixty minutes is recommended for children and teenagers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services release new “dietary guidelines” every five years with the latest one released in 2010 called MyPlate (“MyPyramid”, n.d.). Aside from the obvious change from a pyramid structure to an image of a divided plate, MyPlate differs from MyPyramid by offering a simpler guideline to eating healthy. Instead of measuring out exact ounces of each food group as recommended by MyPyramid, MyPlate recommends that half of one’s plate consist of vegetables and fruits while the other half consist of protein and grains. There is a smaller circle outside of the plate which represents the dairy group. With my mother being a firm believer in healthy eating, I believe my diet is in accordance with MyPlate’s guidelines. I have been raised on drinking fat-free milk, I have not eaten white bread since elementary school, and although my mother frequently complains about the higher prices of healthier food in comparison to less healthy and processed foods, she continues to make sure my sister and I consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, despite eating what I believe is a rather balanced diet, I refuse to eat any type of fish. Stemming from a traumatic childhood experience in Hawaii where dozens of catfish nipped at