What are the Differences Between the Food Guide Pyramid & MyPyramid?

Over time, people's nutritional needs change, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updates its dietary recommendations for Americans accordingly. The USDA created the Food Guide Pyramid to give the public a visual aid to which they can refer. When the nutritional guidelines changed, so did the pyramid. In 2005, the USDA introduced MyPyramid as an interactive food guidance system that would enable Americans to personalize their approach when choosing a healthier lifestyle.

Food Groups

• The old Food Guide Pyramid had six food groups -- oils and sweets, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and grains -- stacked in order of importance. Oils and sweets were at the top because people are supposed to use them sparingly. Grains make up the base of the human diet, so they made up the pyramid. MyPyramid changed the structure and put all the food groups next to each other. The new pyramid names grains, vegetables, fruits and protein foods. It does not mention the oils and sweets section.

Protein Foods

• The Food Guide Pyramid grouped meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and dried beans into one segment, although people just shortened the name to the meat group. MyPyramid changed the food group's name to the protein foods group, because all the recommended foods are a good source of protein. The USDA recommended that people try to choose lean meats and prepare them in a health conscious way. The updated pyramid also suggests consumers choose fish, nuts and seeds instead of meat or poultry because they contain healthy oils.

Servings

• A difference between MyPyramid and the Food Guide Pyramid is that MyPyramid bases its serving suggestions on a person's age, gender and level of physical activity. Also, the USDA gives MyPyramid's serving suggestions in ounces. The Food Guide Pyramid gave users servings in cups. The serving sizes for MyPyramid are very loose guidelines, while the Food Guide Pyramid had more rigid standards, and the USDA did not differentiate the servings for different people.

Seafood

• The Food Guide Pyramid did not recommend any one food group option over another. It merely encouraged people to choose a lean, raw or unsweetened product. MyPyramid, however, recommends that people eat low-fat or no fat products and seafood instead of lean meats and poultry. While the USDA does recognize the concern over possible health risks associated with seafood consumption, such as mercury poisoning, the guidelines state that people could benefit from two servings of fish per week.