Children in America have been educated about proper, healthy eating with the aid of the Food Pyramid (formerly known as the four food groups). The Food Pyramid is a visual chart that is supposed to demonstrate the amounts of different types of food that you should eat every day in order to maintain a healthy diet. The pyramid endorses an eating style that is not altogether supported by what dietitians and nutritionists know to be true about the way people eat and maintain healthy weights. In fact, some think that following the USDA’s eating advice is actually contributing to the obesity epidemic in America as well as diabetes.

Let’s start by examining the foundation of the Food Pyramid, the food group commonly referred to as grains and breads. The Pyramid advises that the average healthy person should be eating six to eleven servings of grains, breads and other starches, like pasta, every day. Furthermore, the Pyramid advises that only about half of these grains and breads need to be made from whole grains. However, as your personal trainer will tell you, modern food science has shown that only whole grains offer the body essential nutrients that it needs, and in this time of highly processed foods, eating carbohydrates six to ten times a day could be disastrous in terms of weight loss.

Moving one section up the Food Pyramid you will find the food group known as fruits and vegetables, which is the group that forms the foundation of any healthy diet, not grains and breads. Many food and diet specialists will tell you that fruits and vegetables can and should be eaten at every meal and be part of every snack, even when you’re striving for weight loss. In fact, most people can eat as many as they want without gaining weight. Also, the Food Pyramid does not point out the fact that starchy vegetables, like potatoes should actually be included in the bread and grains group.

The Food Pyramid is misleading in similar ways with regards to fats, proteins and dairy. Although the Pyramid may have been helpful in past years as a tool for helping very young children categorize different types of food, it is completely outdated and incorrect in most cases.

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