A drum roll, please! The United States Department of Agriculture has reinvented the pyramid.

Not the concept of the pyramid, but the graphic guideline for recommended nutrition. The new pyramid still is a pyramid, but the look is different and simpler, rather like a triangular rainbow with its colors out of order.

You can learn more at www.MyPyramid.gov, but here’s an overview of the new guidance system:

• MyPyramid’s basic messages for healthy eating and physical activity apply to everyone and mirror the messages from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For example, eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, rice or pasta every day; go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt and other milk products; choose food and beverages low in added sugars.
  

• MyPyramid Plan helps you find the kinds and amounts of foods to eat each day. Simply enter age, gender and activity level, and you will get your own food plan at an appropriate calorie level. The plan includes specific daily amounts from each food group and can be printed out as a worksheet to help track your progress.
  

• Inside the Pyramid provides detailed information about each food group, discretionary calories and physical activity, with practical suggestions to help implement a personal food plan.
  

• An analysis of what you currently are eating—MyPyramid Tracker—offers a detailed analysis of your current eating and physical activity habits. From this, you can compare your current status to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommendations. A history function allows you to track progress over time, up to one year.
  

• Sample menus are given for a 2,000-calorie food pattern.

Of course, understanding the principles of MyPyramid and putting them into practice are two different things. If you want practical ways to make eating delicious, simple and healthy, check out a recently published cookbook with creative recipes of superb foods that also have remarkable health benefits, The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook—Eating Well for Better Health.

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Guide for understanding MyPyramid

The food groups:  Gold—grains; Green—vegetables; Red—fruits; Yellow—oils; Blue—milk; Purple—meats and beans.

Activity is represented by the steps and the person climbing them, as a reminder of the importance of daily physical activity.

Moderation is represented by the narrowing of each food group from bottom to top. The wider base stands for foods with little or no solid fats or added sugars. These should be selected more often.  The narrower top area stands for foods containing more added sugars and solid fats. The more active you are, the more of these foods can fit into your diet.

Proportionality is shown by the different widths of the food group bands. The widths suggest how much food a person should choose from each group.

Variety is symbolized by the six color bands representing the five food groups of the Pyramid with oils.

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Claudia Barner, Ph.D., is a registered & licensed dietician