 Welcome to the MyPyramid Questions and Answers (Q&A) page. Here, you’ll find questions asked by consumers, health professionals, and people like you, and the answers provided by the nutritionists at the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. See the categories on the right? If you have a question related to one of these categories, you can click on these links and jump to that section of the page. If you can’t
find an answer to a question you have about nutrition, MyPyramid, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or this site’s resources, call the MyPyramid Customer Support and Information Line at 1-888-7-PYRAMID (888-779-7264; 8am to 3pm Eastern time, Monday-Friday, closed Federal holidays). Or, send an email to
support@cnpp.usda.gov. NOTE: Our staff of nutritionists and dietitians can answer basic food and nutrition questions, information about our website, and other related topics. However, they are not IT specialists or medical doctors and therefore cannot answer technical computer glitch questions or offer medical advice.
How Much? How Much??
How much should we eat from each of the food groups?
There is no one single answer to this question, but by using the MyPyramid Plan, you can find an answer that is personalized for you. The Plan takes into account your age, sex, height, weight, and how much physical activity you usually do. From the MyPyramid home page, click on MyPyramid Plan in the left column
and begin!
How much fiber should I be eating?
MyPyramid is based on the recommendations set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the most current version of which was released in January 2005. That reports states that, “The recommended dietary fiber intake is 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed.” For the sample 2000-calorie pattern, therefore, the fiber recommendation is 28 grams per day. To read more about the fiber and carbohydrate recommendations, and to see a list of sources of
dietary fiber, see Chapter 7 and Appendix B of the Dietary Guidelines 2005 report.
What counts as a serving of grain? Of fruit? Of oil?
MyPyramid no longer uses the term “servings” or portions for recommendations. All food group recommendations for MyPyramid are made in household units (cups for fruits, vegetables and milk, and ounce equivalents for grains and meat and beans). Each MyPyramid calorie pattern will indicate the number of cup or ounce equivalents for each food group for that calorie pattern.
To find out more about foods in the food groups, how much is needed, what counts as an ounce or cup equivalent, and other information about the food groups, click on Inside the Pyramid from the MyPyramid home page. Then on the right side click on the food group, other questions will follow for you to click and view information.
Why has the peanut butter equivalent changed from 2 tablespoons on the Food Guide Pyramid to 1 tablespoon on MyPyramid?
USDA changed the
equivalencies for nuts, peanut butter, and legumes as meat "alternates" because the calorie levels of the original equivalents were just too high to be able to promote them as valid choices in that group. The previous equivalent for nuts – 1.5 ounces or 1/3 cup – had more than 200 calories; while 1 oz. of lean meat has between 50 and 60 calories, and 1 oz. of fish has about 40. While the protein in 1 oz. equivalent of nuts, peanut butter, or legumes is now less than in 1 oz. of
meat, the recommended daily amounts (about 5 to 7 oz. equivalents) still provide adequate protein for all age groups, if the food patterns are followed completely. So it was a matter of being able to say "vary your protein choices" and consume nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and legumes more often – without the diet going over its calorie limit – that drove this decision. Note that we selected equivalent amounts that still do not provide exact caloric equivalency, but we needed to
use consumer-friendly amounts like 1 tablespoon.
Classifying Foods
How were the food groups decided for MyPyramid?
In the early 1980s, the food groups for what would become the original food guide pyramid were developed. The nutritionists who created these patterns provided the following philosophical rationale for how they chose to group foods:
"The new food guide must be useful to the target audience. It should
build on previous food guides. Therefore, food groups should be used as a conceptual framework and these food groups must be recognizable to consumers. Scientists might prefer a grouping system based strictly on nutrients or some other technical characteristic of the food; however, if such grouping systems are not easily recognizable to consumers, they are not useful. For example, tomatoes are botanically a fruit, but consumers use them and think of them as vegetables; therefore,
they should be grouped with vegetables. If past food guides have traditionally grouped certain foods together, consumers should not be asked to unlearn this information unless there is a clear advantage to reorganization... In summary, to be useful to consumers, food grouping should be based on the nutrient content of the foods, the way the food is used by consumers, and the way it has been grouped in the past."
The entire report from which this excerpt was taken is available
online by clicking here.
Hey, USDA, tomatoes are fruits not vegetables! Why does MyPyramid include them in the Vegetable Group?
Oh yes, tomatoes are fruits – botanically speaking. But so are eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, and several others which you'd hardly expect. (The
botanical definition of a fruit has to do with its seeds.) In MyPyramid, as was done in the Food Guide Pyramid, USDA groups foods according to how they are used in meals rather than their botanical definitions. Tomatoes are commonly eaten as vegetables (as parts of salads, sandwiches,
sauces), and so are in the Vegetable Group. For more on the tomato, click here.
Is corn a grain or a vegetable?
Again, botanical definitions may differ from the traditional use of the food. MyPyramid categorizes foods based on tradition, nutritional value, and use at meals. For these reasons (cooked) fresh corn is considered a vegetable and (milled) dried corn (e.g., used in tortillas) is considered a grain. Additionally, they are actually different species. So corn used for milling is not eaten fresh and corn cooked fresh and eaten as a vegetable is not dried and milled.
What is a whole grain? How much fiber is in whole grains versus non-whole grains?
Whole grains consist of the entire grain seed, usually called the kernel. The kernel is made of three components – the bran, germ, and endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed, or flaked, then it must retain nearly the same relative
proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the original grain to be called “whole grain.” This definition can be found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 Chapter 5, page 25.
There is not a general ratio of fiber in whole grains. The amount of fiber varies depending on the type of whole grain. For example, 100 grams of whole wheat flour contains 12.2 grams of
fiber, while an equal amount of brown rice flour contains 4.6 grams of fiber. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 discuss the benefits and emphasize the importance of consuming both whole grains and dietary fiber. Fruits and vegetables also provide dietary fiber. Published scientific and medical research provides strong evidence showing that whole grains confer health benefits beyond dietary fiber alone. Some of this benefit is due to phytochemicals found in whole grains,
but there is still much more research to be done.
Why are beans in both the Meat and Beans Group and the Vegetable Group?
Dry beans and peas can be counted either in the Vegetable Group (dry beans and peas subgroup) or in the Meat and Beans Group, or in both groups. Generally, individuals who regularly eat meat, poultry, and fish would count dry beans and peas in the Vegetable Group. Individuals who seldom or never eat meat, poultry, or fish (vegetarians)
would first count the dry beans and peas they eat in the Meat and Beans Group, and then any remaining would be counted in the Vegetable Group.
For information on beans, click here.
In what food group are soy beverages and other soy products?
All soy products (tofu, soy beverages, tempeh, etc.) are included in the Meat & Beans Group because they are products of soy beans. Though
soy beverages do provide calcium, soy beverages are not part of the Milk Group. This is because the calcium in soy beverages comes from calcium salts used in the processing of the soy beans. Fortification, therefore, does not qualify a food to be moved to another group. This is similar to why calcium-fortified orange juice remains in the Fruit Group and is not in the Milk Group with milk and other calcium sources.
How do I classify _____ (a certain vegetable, such as a
specific starchy vegetable or dark leafy green or sweet potato for example...is it starchy or orange)?
The vegetable categories are found on the Inside the Pyramid page. Then on the right side, click on vegetables (or any other food group you are interested in exploring). Here you will find the categories of vegetables.
Who is the author of the material on MyPyramid.gov?
Everything on the MyPyramid website, MyPyramid Plan, My Pyramid Tracker, MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, etc) was developed by a team of nutritionists,
dietitians, economists, and policy experts at USDA, based on expert nutrition recommendations for Americans 2 years and older from the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
How do I reference a page from MyPyramid.gov?
If you are referencing a particular page from MyPyramid.gov for a school paper or a research article, you can use the general format below. Journal articles, however, will require slightly different formatting and style, so see the guidelines published by that journal. The basic reference would be:
U.S. Department of Agriculture. MyPyramid.gov Website. Washington, DC. Title of Publication. www.SpecificWebAddress.gov. Accessed [Insert date accessed with year].
for example:
U.S. Department of Agriculture. MyPyramid.gov Website. Washington, DC. Vegetarian Diets. www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resources/ vegetarian_diets.html. Accessed June 2, 2008.
Dietary Restrictions
What advice do you have for people who can’t or don’t drink milk?
For those who are lactose intolerant, lactose-free and lower-lactose products are available. These include hard cheeses and yogurt. Also, enzyme preparations can be added to milk to lower the lactose content. Calcium-fortified foods and beverages such as
beverages or orange juice may provide calcium, but may not provide the other nutrients found in milk and milk products. For tips on making wise choices within the milk group, click here.
There are calcium-rich, non-dairy foods for those who do not consume milk products for whatever reason (allergies, veganism, other reasons). These foods include calcium-fortified
juices, cereals, breads, soy beverages, or rice beverages, canned fish (sardines, salmon with bones), soybeans and other soy products (soy beverages, soy yogurt, tempeh), some other dried beans, and some leafy greens (collard and turnip greens, kale, bok choy). For more information on non-dairy calcium sources, click here.
Can vegetarians use MyPyramid?
MyPyramid is applicable to vegetarians. Vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients. The key is to consume a variety of foods and the right amount of foods to meet your calorie needs. Follow the food group recommendations for your age, sex, and activity level to get the right amount of food and the variety of foods needed for nutrient adequacy. Nutrients that vegetarians may need to
focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12. Plant-based protein sources are widely available in the Meat & Beans Group. These include dry beans and peas, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and soy products. For more choices for vegetarians and vegans, click here. Tips for vegetarians and vegans can be found here.
If you also avoid milk products, calcium-rich, non-dairy foods
include calcium-fortified juices, cereals, breads, soybeans and other soy products (soy beverages, soy yogurt, tempeh), rice beverages, some other dried beans, and some leafy greens (collard and turnip greens, kale, bok choy). For more information on non-dairy calcium sources, click here.
How do I lose weight using MyPyramid?
If you need to lose a small amount of weight, first determine your recommended calorie intake level on MyPyramid.gov. To lose weight, reduce your calorie intake 200-400 calories per day and increase your physical activity. (Click here to view all of the calorie levels.) If you need to lose a large amount of weight, you should consult a
registered dietitian. You can find a dietician through the American Dietetic Association’s website. For more tips, see the section called Steps to a Healthier Weight.
If I have diabetes, high blood pressure, celiac sprue (gluten intolerance), food allergies, gastric bypass surgery, etc., how can I modify MyPyramid to fit my specific needs?
The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 (the basis of MyPyramid, MyPyramid for Kids, MyPyramid for Preschoolers, MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding) and, therefore, all of the versions of MyPyramid are applicable for healthy people over the age of 2
years. These can not take into account diseases or disorders that require dietary modifications/ therapeutic diets. Ask your doctor or health professional to refer you to a registered dietitian. You can find a dietician through the American Dietetic Association’s website.
Drinks/ Beverages
Why is water not included in
MyPyramid, MyPyramid for Kids, MyPyramid for Preschoolers, or MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?
MyPyramid is based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the most recent version of which was released in January 2005 by USDA and Health and Human Services. The following links describe the sections related to your question.
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
These recommendations are based on those set forth by the Institute of Medicine.
What information does the MyPyramid provide regarding drinking water versus drinking sodas?
MyPyramid is based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which were released in January 2005 by USDA and Health and Human Services. The Guidelines emphasize limiting the intake
of added sugars. One of the key recommendations of the Guidelines is “Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners, such as amounts suggested by the USDA Food Guide and the DASH Eating Plan.” The Guidelines also lists soft drinks as the highest contributor to added sugars intake, and notes that the amount of added sugars that typically can be accommodated in a 2000-calorie diet is less that the amount of added sugars in a 12-ounce soft
drink. Click here for more information.
The recommendation pertaining to added sugars can also be seen on the MyPyramid poster as follows: “Choose food and beverages low in added sugars. Added sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients.” This information is present in the MyPyramid for Kids as well. More detailed information about added sugars and a chart that shows the number of discretionary calories in soft drinks can be found on the discretionary calories page of the MyPyramid.gov
website.
There are no quantitative recommendations for water in the MyPyramid, MyPyramid for Kids, MyPyramid for Preschoolers, or MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. According to the Dietary Guidelines “The combination of thirst and normal drinking behavior, especially the consumption of fluids with meals, is usually sufficient to maintain normal hydration. Healthy individuals who have routine access to fluids and who are not exposed to heat stress consume adequate water to meet their needs. Purposeful drinking is warranted for
individuals who are exposed to heat stress or perform sustained vigorous activity.” These recommendations are based on those set forth by the Institute of Medicine. Click here for more information.
Pregnancy/ Breastfeeding
Is MyPyramid applicable for women who are pregnant or lactating?
MyPyramid is applicable for pregnancy or lactation. We have a site for pregnant and breastfeeding women that allows for weight gain. Go to MyPyramid.gov and click on Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in the left column. Then, click on MyPyramid Plan for Moms. Enter in your information and you will receive a plan for your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester.
However, we currently do not have recommendations for those women who are both pregnant and breastfeeding. For those women we recommend you consult with your health care provider to make
sure that you are meeting your nutrient and energy needs, as well as the needs of both babies. You may wish to print out MyPyramid Plans for Moms for you for both pregnancy and breastfeeding, and take these with you to your visit. Your doctor will advise you if one or the other is sufficient, based on your health and rate of weight gain. Also please remember to keep checking with your health care provider and your baby's, to be sure you both remain healthy and continue gaining
weight at the correct rate.
Food Safety
Should I wash meat before I cook it? What about fruits and vegetables?
A key recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – the basis for MyPyramid – is that meat and poultry should not be washed or rinsed: "Raw meat and poultry should not be washed because this creates the danger of cross-contamination and is not necessary. Washing these foods can allow most bacteria that are present on the surface of the meat or poultry to spread to ready-to-eat foods, kitchen utensils, and counter surfaces."
Fruits and vegetables, on the
other hand, should be rinsed under cold water to remove any residual dirt. Some produce, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a brush.
Fore more information on this issue, see the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) Washing Food: Does It Promote Food Safety? And for more information on food safety in general, visit the FSIS website.
User Profiles/ Accounts
I am trying to track our whole families’ eating habits. However, after I log in, I only get the primary user profile. How do I switch family members?
MyPyramid Tracker is set up for an individual assessment.
You would need to set up separate account for each family member in order to receive assessment results for each individual family member.
I searched everywhere on the MyPyramid
Tracker site, but could not find instructions on how to change my password. Could you please send me instructions for this?
We do not have a "change your password" option. If you want to use a different password you will need to create a new account.
I have my password but I not sure if I misspelled it please send it to me if you can.
We don’t have access to personal information such as passwords and user IDs. When you first registered if you gave your
email address and a password hint there is place on the log in page to get the password sent to you. If you did not set this up when you created your account you will have to create a new account.
I accidentally registered for this website and wish to please cancel.
We don’t have access to personal information such as passwords and user IDs. Thus, we are unable to delete any accounts. If your account remains unused for one year it will be automatically deleted.
Entering Foods and Physical Activity
How do I enter nutritional supplements on the food tracker?
The MyPyramid Tracker currently does not have the option to add dietary supplements to your intake. You can find a Dietary Supplements Information Page from the Save and Analyze page of the MyPyramid Tracker. It should be the 4th block down the list.
It would be nice to be able to preview the nutritional attributes that each food is going to add prior to
making the selection. The reason for this is that sometimes the nutrition information is available on the package and it would be nice to see what your assumptions are so that I can determine which food selection to make or how many servings to count. An example is tamale, meat or poultry, I have the package and it says that it is 390 calories and 24 grams of fat. I can back the information out of your program and judging by the change in nutrient intakes when adding the tamale,
the item you have listed has 133 calories and 7.2 grams of fat. I'd like to be able to figure out how many servings I should count without having to back it out.
Currently, the MyPyramid Tracker does not have the feature to assess individual foods from the food list. You will have to enter each food individual than click save and analyze. We understand this is somewhat cumbersome and not the easiest to accomplish, but for now it is the only way to see a single food’s analysis.
You may also search the nutrient content of foods from USDA's Agriculture Research Service’s (ARS) Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL). This is the database we use for the food in the Tracker. Click here to check out the NDL search tool.
Is it possible to enter foods that are not listed and then to manually enter the nutrient amounts?
At the present time the MyPyramid Tracker does not have the capability to allow users to enter foods not available in
the program's database, even if the nutrient profile is known. The foods in the Tracker are from a national database of over 8,000 foods. This database is updated periodically but does not contain all foods available. Updating the database will depend on funding and staff time.
I entered food for 6-8-08 twice. How do I delete it so that my graphs will be accurate?
Unfortunately there isn’t a way to delete a day already entered. Since it will affect your average,
the best recommendation I have is to use a future day’s intake and use it for the date you already entered. You can delete the foods for the day you don’t want to use and enter in foods from a future date. To go back to the date you initially entered and view, edit or delete foods from that day, log in and proceed to the profile/date page. Here you will have to manually change the date to the date you want to view. The program will default to the current date. Please note the
program is digit sensitive so if you want to view foods entered on a previous day, you will have to enter the date the way you entered them the first time. For instance the program views 1/01/2008 as a different date than 1/1/2008.
How do I retrieve past data that I entered?
To view, edit, or add foods entered on a previous day, log in and proceed to the profile/date page. Here you will have to manually change the date to the date you want to view. The program will default to the current date. Please note the program is digit sensitive so if you want to view foods entered on a previous day, you will have to
enter the date the way you entered them the first time. For instance the program views 1/01/2008 as a different date than 1/1/2008.
I'm trying to use the MyPyramid tracker for daily activities and am astounded that the very activity depicted on the Pyramid itself, walking up stairs, is either unavailable, or not intuitively easy to find. I browsed and searched for stair, upstairs and walking and did not find an entry for the simplest daily activity, using the
stairs rather than the elevator.
We use a published national physical activity database which includes approximately 600 activity descriptions. On occasion you may not be able to find the exact activity match (as with walking up stairs). When this happens we recommend you choose a similar activity. For instance, under a search for “climbing” you will find “up stairs, using or climbing a ladder”. This activity uses approximately the same effort (METS) as
stair climbing (stair-master or walking up stairs).
I accidently clicked on “condensed option” for physical activity and cannot “undo” this. How do I undo it for the day?
Once you have selected one option for the day, you would not be able to change it. however, when you enter a different date you can choose a different option.
I would like to know how to get the graph which shows how much you need and how much you ate. I can not figure out where it is at.
The graphs are located on the Save and Analyze page. After you have entered food and their amounts click on Save and Analyze then choose the Healthy Eating History block. You can click on the nutrient or food group you desire and the graph for the item will be shown.
Whom should I contact for additional advice on nutrition?
For additional nutrition information, you can visit Nutrition.gov or the American Dietetic Association. To find a dietitian, go to the ADA’s homepage and enter your zip code. You will get a list of registered dietitians in your area.
What are the rules for reprinting MyPyramid materials?
Copyright, Restrictions, and Permissions Notice:
Permission to Reprint: All of the informational
materials produced by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, whether printed or maintained electronically on this website, are in the public domain and as such are not restricted by copyright law unless otherwise stated.
We ask only that informational materials, both graphic and text, provided by CNPP be reproduced as originally designed and/or written and that they not be altered or edited in any way. For accuracy and continuity of the message, we encourage all
users to reproduce the information as original designed and/or written. If, however, the user finds it necessary to modify the graphic image or text that it not be attributed to either the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
For book, magazine, newspapers, or Internet publishers, this statement will serve as the official statement of the Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion. Click here for more information.
What materials do you have in Spanish?
Currently, MyPyramid.gov has limited materials in Spanish. These include the press materials (press release, backgrounder, Q&A), the animation of MyPyramid, and some print materials (poster, mini-poster, anatomy of MyPyramid) available in Spanish. Also, the
MyPyramid.gov website is available in Spanish (except for some
programs). For more information, click on En Español in the top right corner of MyPyramid.gov, or visit MiPiramide.gov. Check out the links below to direct links to Spanish materials.
Press materials
Animation
What printed materials do you have available and how can I get them?
All of our print materials can be found on our Print Page.
For information on ordering materials – either single or bulk copies – go to the Contact Us button on the top right of the navigation bar.
How do you recommend I teach a whole class of children to use MyPyramid?
The best way to teach the class is to download some of the information from MyPyramid.gov and use that. All of our information is on there. As far as teaching servings that each student should have, the answer is that
it is going to vary slightly based on their age, sex, and activity level. MyPyramid is different from the Food Guide Pyramid in that rather than having a range of servings to choose from – and people almost always thought that they were free to choose whatever they wanted within that range – you can determine a more exact eating plan based on your own characteristics. It’s the one-size-does-not-fit-all approach. Start by doing the MyPyramid Plan at
MyPyramid.gov on the right
side of the screen. For your class, you can determine what calorie levels you'll need to print out. Click here for the full chart.
Once you pick the calories levels, click here to download the eating plans.
Click here for the corresponding worksheets.
You'll probably have a few different plans to work with,
but this should make the students more enthusiastic because the results are more individualized, and therefore everyone will seem a little different. Plus, doing this will give the teacher the opportunity to find out about their daily physical activity. If they answer that they're sedentary, that would be a good opportunity for some healthful interventions! Good luck!
Are there any sample menus or recipes available that illustrate MyPyramid calorie plans?
Currently MyPyramid provides a sample menu at
the 2000 calorie level. We are in the process of developing menus for other calorie levels and hope to have them available in the near future.
MyPyramid does not include recipes because we don’t have a test kitchen to prepare and test suggested recipes. Therefore, we are unable to provide recipes at this time.
Does MyPyramid have a Twitter page?
We sure do!
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August 03, 2010 04:03 PM
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