THE HEALTHY EATING PYRAMID   BRICK-BY-BRICK
                                                                                                                                                                                                              The  HSPH  Healthy  Eating  Pyramid  says:  construct 
       FOOD PYRAMIDS:                                                                                                                                                                                         a  baseline  of  regular  exercise  and  controlled 
                                                                                                                                                                                                              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 
       INTRODUCTION                                                    PYRAMID BUILDING                                                                                                                       & FOCUS ON QUALITY
                                                                                                                                                                                                              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 
       USDA said were the elements of a healthy diet.                  his architect, the quarry master, the stonecut-                        Harvard  University  Dining  Services  aligns  its  meal        activity. It’s a simple, general, flexible guide to how 
       The Pyramid was taught in schools, appeared                     ters, slaves, and the boys who carried water to                        offerings with the Healthy Eating Pyramid, which was            you should eat when you eat.
       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 years to reflect major advances in our un-                  pyramid.                                                               business interests in their messages.                           the HUDS menu.
       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                 HEALTHY EATING                                                                                                                 SPARINGLY
       MyPyramid, a new symbol and “interactive food 
       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-
       diet and long-term health. And it continues to                                                                                                                                                                                             VITAMIN can be 
                                                                       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  
                                                                    The  body  needs  carbohydrates  mainly  for                   These plant foods are excellent sources of protein,         (For Most People)
                                                                    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            FISH, POULTRY, & EGGS                                       standard,  store-brand,  RDA-level  one  is  fine  for 
                                                                    and  insulin  can  keep  hunger  at  bay  and  may                                                                         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 
                                                                    a  diet  rich  in  whole  grains  may  also  protect            These  foods  are  also  important  sources  of            the risk of colon and breast cancer. Aim for getting 
                                                                    against heart disease.                                          protein.  A  wealth  of  research  suggests  that          at  least  1,000  IU  of  vitamin  D  per  day;  multiple 
                                                                                                                                                                                               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 
                                                                    FATS & CHOLESTEROL                                              since  fish  is  rich  in  heart-healthy  omega-3          northern U.S. or have darker skin, will need extra 
                                                                                                                                    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 
        lar exercise, which keeps calories in bal-                  more of his or her daily calories from fats, so                 consumption to no more than 3 a week. But egg 
                                                                    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.                                   makes sense. Note, though, that it specifically                 substitute for whole eggs in omelets and baking.
                                     Be physically                                                                                                                                             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.                                                                      because they contain lots of saturated fat. Eating 
                                                                    Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include 
        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.  These  healthy  fats  not  only  improve               or VITAMIN D/CALCIUM                                       times a week can improve cholesterol levels. So 
                                                                    cholesterol levels (when eaten in place of highly                                                                          can switching from butter to olive oil. And eating 
                                                                    processed carbo-hydrates) but can also protect                  SUPPLEMENTS                                                fish has other benefits for the heart.
                                                                    the  heart  from  sudden  and  potentially  deadly              Building  bone  and  keeping  it  strong  takes             Refined Grains (White Bread, Rice, Pasta); 
                                                                    rhythm problems.                                                calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and a whole lot               Potatoes; Sugary Drinks & Sweets; Salt
                                                                    VEGETABLES & FRUITS                                             more.  Dairy  products  have  traditionally  been          Why  are  these  all-American  staples  at  the 
                                                                                                                                    Americans’ main source of calcium and, through             top,  rather  than  the  bottom,  of  the  Healthy 
                                                                    Get Plenty Every Day                                            fortification, vitamin D. But most people need at          Eating Pyramid? White bread, white rice, white 
                                                                                                                                    least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, far more than         pasta,  other  refined  grains,  potatoes,  sugary 
                                                                    A diet rich in vegetables and fruits has bountiful              the 100 IU supplied by a glass of fortified milk.          drinks, and sweets can cause fast and furious 
                                                                    benefits.  Among  them:  It  can  decrease  the                 And there are other healthier ways to get calcium          increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight 
                                                                    chances  of  having  a  heart  attack  or  stroke;              than from milk and cheese, which can contain a             gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic 
                                                                    possibly protect against some types of cancers;                 lot of saturated fat. Three glasses of whole milk,         disorders.  Whole  grain  carbohydrates  cause 
                                                                    lower blood pressure; help you avoid the painful                for  example,  contains  as  much  saturated  fat          slower, steadier increases in blood sugar that 
                                                                    intestinal  ailment  called  diverticulitis;  guard             as 13 strips of cooked bacon. If you enjoy dairy           don’t  overwhelm  the  body’s  ability  to  handle 
                                                                    against cataract and macular degeneration, the                  foods, try to stick mainly with no-fat or low-fat          carbohydrates. The salt shaker is a new addition 
                                                                    major causes of vision loss among people over                   products. If you don’t like dairy products, taking         to the “Use Sparingly” tip of the Healthy Eating 
                                                                    age 65; and add variety to your diet and wake up                a  vitamin D and calcium supplement offers an              Pyramid, one that’s based on extensive research 
      To  learn  more  about  the  Healthy  Eating  Pyramid,        your palate.                                                    easy  and  inexpensive  way  to  meet  your  daily         linking high-sodium diets to increased risk of 
      explore the “bricks” at “The Nutrition Source” online:                                                                        vitamin D and calcium needs.                               heart attack and stroke.
      www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html