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Why Was the Food Pyramid Created?

The MyPyramid image for nutritional guidelines was created in 2005 as a visual depiction of the components needed for a healthy diet. The USDA wanted an easily-recognizable and motivational symbol that conveyed a general message about nutrition.

  1. Categories

    • The pyramid has color-coded swaths that represent different food categories: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, yellow for fats and oils, blue for dairy and purple for protein.

    Proportions

    • Each color swath varies in size to indicate the amount of food in each category needed for a healthy diet.

    Exercise

    • The side of the pyramid has a stick figure running up stairs to indicate the need for exercise as well as healthy diet.

    Visual only

    • The intention of the USDA was to make a simple iconic reminder of the foods needed for a healthy diet. However, one criticism is that without consumer research, the symbol is essentially meaningless, as there are no explanations of what each color means.

    Re-evaluation

    • By law, the Department of Health and Human Services must evaluate and revise the dietary guidelines every five years. The next evaluation is due in 2010. Over 100 pages of technical advice is reduced and simplified to offer guidelines for the American diet.

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