Mealtime.org :: USDA's Food Guidance System

MyPyramid with Cans

MyPyramid: Your Guide to Healthy Eating

Courtesy of Roberta Larson Duyff, registered dietitian and author of 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association, and the Canned Food Alliance

Food confusion abounds. One day, news reports tout trimming fat in food as the way to lose weight. The next day, a low-carbohydrate diet is said to be the cure-all end to obesity. The fact is, we all need to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods - in the right amounts - to reach our nutrition goals and to balance the calories we eat with those our bodies use to maintain a healthy weight. The goal of MyPyramid, the food guidance system from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is meant to help healthy Americans, ages 2 years and over, follow a plan for healthy eating and an active lifestyle. It’s easy to customize - just for you!

MyPyramid is ...

Based in the latest nutrition science... giving you an easy tool for smart eating and active living. It’s your guide for following science-based healthy eating and active-living advice from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Designed for individual differences ...so you can personalize a plan at one of MyPyramid’s 12 calorie levels depending on your age, gender and physical activity level.
Flexible... so you can make food and lifestyle decisions based on your own calorie needs, lifestyle and food preferences.
Sensible ... encouraging you to take small steps to healthy eating and active living.

Canned foods offer nutritious, convenient and flavorful choices to help Americans step up to healthful eating, whatever their nutrient or calorie needs. In fact, MyPyramid recognizes that canned foods offer nutritious, easy ways to consume the recommended variety and amount of fruits, vegetables, meats and beans for a day. Studies also show that canned foods are comparable in nutrition to their cooked fresh and frozen counterparts.

Below are five nutritious, delicious recipes, some practical advice and quick-and-easy tips that will help you follow your personal MyPyramid plan.

Fish Braised in Green Curry with Potatoes

Peanut, Peach ‘n Pineapple Wrap

Sante Fe Chicken Soup

Tuscan-Style Pasta with Cannellini

Pumpkin Pie Shake

Putting MyPyramid in Action:

Each food group "radiates" from the top of the MyPyramid to the bottom so that foods higher in fat and added sugar within each category are at the top (eat less) and foods that contain less added sugar and fat are at the bottom (eat more). MyPyramid is three-dimensional, with steps going up the left side to indicate the importance of regular physical activity and to remind people to take simple steps to healthier living. There are five food groups depicted in the new shape - Grains (orange); Fruits (red); Vegetables (green); Milk (blue); and Meat and Beans (purple) - as well as the Oils Category (yellow).

Grain Group (Orange) – Foods in the Grain Group are your body’s most important energy source. The amount you need daily (equivalent to 5 to 8 ounces daily for most adults) depends on your age, gender and level of physical activity. A slice of bread, a half cup of cooked rice or pasta, or one cup of breakfast cereal count as one ounce each. Fiber-rich whole grains may help reduce the risks of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity; MyPyramid advocates making at least half of your grain choices whole. Other grain foods can fill out your day’s goal from the Grain Group: Processed (milled) grains are enriched with iron and some B vitamins, and they’re fortified with folic acid, which may have many health benefits, such as helping to reduce the risk of some birth defects.

CAN-do tip # 1: From oats to whole wheat, brown rice to bulgur and even corn, there are many ways to take the “whole” approach. Choose whole-grain breakfast cereal, such as oatmeal. Add whole barley or bulgur to canned or homemade soups and stews. Or sprinkle ground flaxseed on your salads, soups, yogurt, canned fruit or cereal. Grains of all kinds, including whole grains, pair well with many other nutrient-rich foods.

Fruits Group (Red) and Vegetables Group (Green) – To get enough fruits and vegetables – and to get the variety of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients they provide – serve a rainbow of color on your plate. Depending on your energy needs, fit in the recommendation for most adults: 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits, and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables into your meals and snacks for the day. A colorful plate with red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple fruits and vegetables not only helps ensure good health, but also makes meals and snacks more appealing.

CAN-do tip # 2: Add a burst of color to your plate by tossing salads with canned beets or Mandarin oranges, topping whole-wheat French toast or oatmeal with canned blueberries or raspberries, puréeing canned pumpkin, sweet potato or yams as a flavorful thickener in soups and stews, and tossing diced, canned tomatoes with herbs and brown rice.

Milk Group (Blue) – Getting enough calcium-rich dairy products is important. Specifically, the Dietary Guidelines call for 3 cups of milk daily or an equivalent of mostly fat-free or low-fat dairy foods. What options do you or your kids have besides milk?

CAN-do Tip # 3: To fit in calcium-rich dairy foods, top your favorite canned soup, such as minestrone or vegetable soup, with shredded, low-fat cheese. Make a breakfast sundae with oat flakes, yogurt and canned fruit. Whirl a tasty smoothie in a blender, made with low-fat yogurt or flavored milk, your favorite canned fruit and juice.

Meat and Beans Group (Purple) – MyPyramid’s advice for this food group: the equivalent of 5 to 6.5 ounces of protein foods for most adults, depending on personal needs. Make the most of your protein choices lean: lean meat and poultry that’s grilled, broiled or baked. Fit fish into meals at least twice a week. Boosting omega-3s (a “good” fat) from salmon and other fish with more omega-3s is a tactic for heart health. And consider eggs, beans, peas, nuts and seeds as other options.

CAN-do Tip # 4: To go lean, try canned chicken or turkey in stir-fries, salads and pasta dishes. For their affordable and convenient omega-3 benefits, try canned tuna, salmon and other fatty fish in casseroles, salads, pasta dishes and stir-fries, or pack the tried-and-true tuna sandwich or wrap for a take-to-go meal.

Oils Category (Yellow) – Know your fats, says MyPyramid. Get them mostly from fish, nuts and oils; their mono- and poly-unsaturated fats have some health benefits. For heart health, go easy on solid fats, such as butter, stick margarine and lard. For oils from any source (fish, nuts, cooking oil or salad dressing), 5 to 7 teaspoons a day for adults is enough for most adults.

CAN-do Tip # 5: Use oils in many recipes that call for fat: garbanzo beans and garlic mashed with olive oil for hummus; safflower oil blended with canned fruit juice, balsamic vinegar and herbs as a salad dressing; or sesame oil to flavor canned and fresh veggies in an Asian-style wrap. Add flavor with foods that naturally contain more unsaturated fats: canned olives, nuts, some fish (such as canned salmon) and avocados.

About Canned Food Nutrition

A nutrition study by the University of Massachusetts found that when prepared in a recipe, dishes made with canned ingredients provide comparable nutritional value and flavor appeal to those dishes made with cooked fresh or frozen. In addition, a nutrition study conducted by the University of Illinois showed that canned fruits and vegetables generally provide as much dietary fiber and nutrients as their cooked fresh and frozen counterparts. The fiber in many convenient canned fruits and vegetables may even help lower the risks of heart disease and some types of cancer.

For additional information or to create your customized pyramid visit www.mypyramid.gov.