Helpful Hints for Meeting the Food Guide Pyramid

The new food pyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2005, is part of a campaign to reduce obesity in the United States. Obesity is quickly becoming one of America’s top health problems. Ruth Bindler, an associate professor at the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, says that 65 percent of adults and 16 percent of children ages 6-19 are obese and are in danger of experiencing a number of health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure (www.cdc.gov).  Dietary intake is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic. 

The new food guide pyramid is flexible and designed to fit individual needs. The amount of intake recommended for nutrient categories varies with each person. To get recommendations specifically designed for your body, go to www.mypyramidtracker.gov. 

Emphasis on a Healthy diet—The new pyramid places emphasis on fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy products and whole grains. It includes lean meats and poultry and leaves some flexibility in the form of “discretionary calories,” which provides a place for items or modifications of items that do not fit into another category.

Quick tips— The following easy, quick tips will help people meet the food guide pyramid suggestions.

• Whole Grains should make up half of the daily grain intake. A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and a sandwich on whole-wheat bread for lunch provides four ounces of whole grains. The other two ounces can be met by pasta for dinner or rice as a side dish. Both are quick dinners and will help to keep people healthy. Bindler suggests using whole grain pasta and brown rice whenever possible. 



• Fruits and Vegetables are perhaps the easiest guidelines to meet. Drink whole fruit juice in the morning with breakfast. Instead of chips or crackers, try an apple or orange for an afternoon snack. Bring carrot sticks or celery along to munch on throughout the day. Try eating half a cup of salad at lunch and another half a cup of salad or other vegetables at dinner. The suggested amount of fruits and vegetables will be reached in no time.



• Low–fat Dairy is an important source of calcium. Instead of two percent milk, buy skim milk.  Replace fatty cheeses with fat-free versions. Fat-free yogurt makes for a quick, healthy breakfast. Also, try fat-free milk instead of one or two percent in lattes. Those who cannot consume milk can substitute lactose-free products, which also provide calcium. Bindler also recommends enriched soy milk.
  
  
• Meats and Poultry are excellent sources of protein and are perhaps easiest to prepare for dinner. Meat should be low-fat or lean and trimmed of excess fat. It is also important to eat as often as possible, as fish provides healthy oils not contained in meat. Also included in this group are nuts, which provide the same healthy oils as fish. 

Exercise—A new addition to the food pyramid is the idea that exercise is as important as eating right in maintaining a recommended weight. Unfortunately, the word exercise immediately makes some people think of having to spend hours in the gym or running in the neighborhood. But, it is much simpler to get vital exercise than previously thought. 

Bindler recommends taking 10,000 steps each day (Wilde, B.E., C.L. Sidman, and C.B. Corbin. “A 10,000 Step Count as a Physical Activity Target for Sedentary Women.” Res Q Exerc Sport. 72:411-414, 2001). Simple ways to do this include parking farther away from the office building or store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to the mailbox instead of stopping as you drive home. Other forms of exercise include household chores, yard work and a brisk walk with the dog after dinner. Whatever one chooses for exercise, the goal should be to get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each day (www.mypyramid.gov). 

Established in 1968, the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing is fully-accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The College is the nation’s oldest and most comprehensive nursing education consortium and is the largest college of nursing in the Northwest. Celebrating 37 years of world-class nursing education, the college offers baccalaureate, graduate and professional development course work to nursing students enrolled through its four consortium partners: Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, WSU and Whitworth College. Each year the College educates more than 800 graduate and upper-division undergraduate students and prepares more entry-level nurses than any other Washington state educational institution. For more information about the College of Nursing, visit its Web site at nursing.wsu.edu.