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The Healthy Eating Pyramid Brick-By-Brick THE HEALTHY EATING PYRAMID BRICK-BY-BRICK The HSPH Healthy Eating Pyramid says: construct a baseline of regular exercise and controlled FOOD PYRAMIDS: portions; then fill your plate with fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain carbohydrates, and healthy What Should You Really Eat fats and oils; and eat less red meat, refined grains, and sugary drinks. FORGET ABOUT NUMBERS & FOCUS ON QUALITY INTRODUCTION PYRAMID BUILDING You’ll notice that the Healthy Eating Pyramid does not More than a decade and a half ago, the U.S. Depart- In the children’s book Who Built the Pyramid?1, give specific advice about the numbers of cups or ounces ment of Agriculture (USDA) created a powerful different people take credit for building the to have each day of specific foods. That’s because it’s and enduring icon: the Food Guide Pyramid. This once-grand pyramid of Senwosret. King Sen- by the HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH not meant to be a rigid road map, and the amounts simple illustration conveyed in a flash what the wosret, of course, claims the honor. But so does DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION can vary depending on your body size and physical activity. It’s a simple, general, flexible guide to how USDA said were the elements of a healthy diet. his architect, the quarry master, the stonecut- Harvard University Dining Services aligns its meal you should eat when you eat. The Pyramid was taught in schools, appeared ters, slaves, and the boys who carried water to offerings with the Healthy Eating Pyramid, which was in countless media articles and brochures, and the workers. developed by the Harvard’s School of Public Health There’s just one basic guideline to remember: A healthy was plastered on cereal boxes and food labels. (HSPH) Department of Nutrition based on their research diet includes more foods from the base of the pyramid The USDA’s MyPyramid also had many build- and science. Why this and not the U.S. government’s than from the higher levels of the pyramid. Perhaps Tragically, the information embodied in this ers. Some are obvious—USDA scientists, nutri- Food Pyramid? The government food pyramid, while the only foods that are truly off-limits are foods that pyramid didn’t point the way to healthy eating. tion experts, staff members, and consultants. well intentioned, is flawed at actually showing people contain trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils. Why not? Its blueprint was based on shaky sci- Others aren’t. Intense lobbying efforts from a what makes up a healthy diet because it is based on Luckily, in the U.S. and Canada, trans fats must be entific evidence, and it barely changed over variety of food industries also helped shape the out-of-date science and influenced by people with listed on nutrition labels – and are eliminated from the HUDS menu. the years to reflect major advances in our un- pyramid. business interests in their messages. derstanding of the connection between diet and health. 1. Hooper M, Heighway-Bury R. Who Built the Pyramid? Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2001. With much fanfare, in 2005, the USDA retired USE the old Food Guide Pyramid and replaced it with SPARINGLY MyPyramid, a new symbol and “interactive food HEALTHY EATING guidance system.” The new symbol is basically PYRAMID the old Pyramid turned on its side. If the only goal of MyPyramid is to give us the The good news is that this dismantles and bur- best possible advice for healthy eating, then it ies the flawed Pyramid. The bad news is that the should be grounded in the evidence and be inde- new symbol doesn’t convey enough information pendent of business. to help you make informed choices about your Taking a MULTI- VITAMIN can be diet and long-term health. And it continues to Instead of waiting for this to happen, nutri- a good nutrition recommend foods that aren’t essential to good tion experts from the Harvard School of Public insurance policy. health, and may even be detrimental in the Health created the Healthy Eating Pyramid, and quantities included in MyPyramid. updated it in 2008. The Healthy Eating Pyramid is based on the best available scientific evi- As an alternative to the USDA’s flawed pyramid, dence about the links between diet and health. faculty members at the Harvard School of Public This new pyramid fixes fundamental flaws in Health built the Healthy Eating Pyramid. It re- the USDA pyramid and offers sound information sembles the USDA’s in shape only. The Healthy to help people make better choices about what Eating Pyramid takes into consideration, and to eat. puts into perspective, the wealth of research conducted during the last 15 years that has re- The Healthy Eating Pyramid sits on a founda- shaped the definition of healthy eating. tion of daily exercise and weight control. Why? These two related elements strongly influence your chances of staying healthy. They also af- fect what you eat and how your food affects you. Daily Exercise & Weight Control The Food Literacy Project HARVARD UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES The Food Literacy Project HARVARD UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES WHOLE GRAINS NUTS, SEEDS, BEANS, MULTIVITAMIN Good Carbs Guide the Way & TOFU WITH EXTRA VITAMIN D (For Most People) The body needs carbohydrates mainly for These plant foods are excellent sources of protein, energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Beans include black A daily multivitamin, multimineral supplement whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat beans, navy beans, garbanzos, lentils, and other offers a kind of nutritional backup, especially bread, and brown rice. They deliver the outer beans that are usually sold dried. Many kinds of when it includes some extra vitamin D. While (bran) and inner (germ) layers along with nuts contain healthy fats, and packages of some a multivitamin can’t in any way replace healthy energy-rich starch. The body can’t digest whole varieties (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, eating, or make up for unhealthy eating, it can fill grains as quickly as it can highly processed hazelnuts, and pistachios) can now even carry a in the nutrient holes that may sometimes affect carbohydrates such as white flour. This keeps label saying they’re good for your heart. even the most careful eaters. You don’t need an blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, then expensive name-brand or designer vitamin. A falling, too quickly. Better control of blood sugar standard, store-brand, RDA-level one is fine for and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may FISH, POULTRY, & EGGS most nutrients—except vitamin D. In addition to its THE HEALTHY EATING PYRAMID prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Plus, Moving Closer to Center Stage bone-health benefits, there’s growing evidence a growing body of research suggests that eating that getting some extra vitamin D can help lower the risk of colon and breast cancer. Aim for getting a diet rich in whole grains may also protect These foods are also important sources of at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day; multiple against heart disease. protein. A wealth of research suggests that vitamins are now available with this amount. (Many eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, people, especially those who spend the winter in the since fish is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 northern U.S. or have darker skin, will need extra FATS & CHOLESTEROL fats. Chicken and turkey are also good sources vitamin D, often a total of 3,000 to 4,000 IU per day, Out with the Bad, In with the Good of protein and can be low in saturated fat. Eggs, to bring their blood levels up to an adequate range. which have long been demonized because they If you are unsure, ask your physician to check your Surprised that the Healthy Eating Pyramid puts contain fairly high levels of cholesterol, aren’t blood level.) Look for a multivitamin that meets some fats near the base, indicating they are okay as bad as they’ve been cracked up to be. In fact, the requirements of the USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia), to eat? Although this recommendation seems to an egg is a much better breakfast than a doughnut an organization that sets standards for drugs and START WITH EXERCISE go against conventional wisdom, it’s exactly in cooked in an oil rich in trans fats or a bagel made supplements. line with the evidence and with common eating from refined flour. People with diabetes or heart A healthy diet is built on a base of regu- habits. The average American gets one-third or disease, however, should limit their egg yolk more of his or her daily calories from fats, so consumption to no more than 3 a week. But egg lar exercise, which keeps calories in bal- placing them near the foundation of the pyramid whites are very high in protein and are a fine USE SPARINGLY: Red Meat & Butter ance and weight in check. Be physically makes sense. Note, though, that it specifically substitute for whole eggs in omelets and baking. These sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid active. Any activity is better than mentions healthy fats and oils, not all types of fat. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include because they contain lots of saturated fat. Eating none. And more is usually better. olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and a lot of red meat may also increase your risk other vegetable oils, trans fat-free margarines, of colon cancer. If you eat red meat every day, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish such as DAIRY (1 to 2 servings per day) switching to fish, chicken, or beans several salmon.
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