Teachers will learn about the changes in the food guide pyramid and how to implement them when teaching health and nutrition. The new food guide pyramid is called, "MyPyramid," with the premise being, that it is all about personalization.
The pyramid remains the same. The content changed somewhat in April 2005, in accordance with the changes in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The premise is the same, eat less from the tip or top of the pyramid. The food groups of the old pyramid were set up horizontally and you worked your way up from the bottom to the top of the pyramid. The new food groups are set up vertically and each group is color coded, grains are orange, vegetables are green, fruit is red, milk is blue, meat and beans are purple and fats are yellow. Portions are no longer general guidelines as before, for example, 3-5 servings of vegetables. Now the food group changes by width, so that a wider column means that you can eat more from that group. People then go to the website to set up a personal eating plan, which will give the individual the portions to eat within each food group.
Print a copy of MyPyramid for the students to view and have it enlarged in color, if possible. You can also request a free poster from the USDA, more information about how to obtain one is in my review of the website.
Discuss the food groups and the colors of each food group. Explain to the students that foods with similar nutrient content belong in the same group. Start with grains. List the foods that belong in the grain group on chart paper. Move through the vegetable and fruit group in the same manner, listing food that belongs in each group on a chart. Children are usually surprised to learn that yogurt and cheese are in the milk group and peanuts and beans belong in the protein or meat and bean group.
Show the students laminated pictures of foods that belong in each group. Pass some of the pictures out for the student's to practice placing in the appropriate groups. Tell the students that they will have time to "play" more with the interactive MyPyramid during center time.
If possible, in the classroom or in the computer lab, introduce the MyPyramid right from the USDA's (United States Department of Agriculture) website. In addition to showing the students the pyramid and explaining how it works, there is a fun, interactive, computer game for students about making good food choices available on the website.