Dietary recommendations are nothing new.

The USDA has been dishing them

out to Americans since 1894. However, the elements of the recommendations
continue to evolve: plate sizes, portion sizes and the food itself.

For new parents who likely grew up with the Food Pyramid,
today’s MyPlate depiction of nutrition may appear unfamiliar. As food
researchers unveil new facts about food, the USDA continually revises food
guides to encourage healthy diets.

Many individuals remember the Pyramids – the Food Guide Pyramid and
MyPyramid – USDA’s food guidance symbols before MyPlate, but not many
people realize just how long USDA’s history of providing science-based dietary
guidance to the American public actually is. Starting over a century ago, USDA
has empowered Americans to make healthy food choices by providing a number
of publications, food guidance symbols, and, more recently, a suite of interactive
online tools. Explore the history of USDA’s food guidance on the timeline below.

1916 to 1930s: "Food for Young Children" and "How to Select Food"

 Established guidance based on food groups and household measures

 Focus was on “protective foods”

1940s: A Guide to Good Eating (Basic Seven)

 Foundation diet for nutrient adequacy

 Included daily number of servings needed from each of seven food groups

 Lacked specific serving sizes

 Considered complex

1956 to 1970s: Food for Fitness, A Daily Food Guide (Basic Four)

 Foundation diet approach—goals for nutrient adequacy

 Specified amounts from four food groups

 Did not include guidance on appropriate fats, sugars, and calorie intake

1979: Hassle-Free Daily Food Guide

  Developed after the 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States were
released

 Based on the Basic Four, but also included a fifth group to highlight the
need to moderate intake of fats, sweets, and alcohol

1984: Food Wheel: A Pattern for Daily Food Choices

 Total diet approach - Included goals for both nutrient adequacy and
moderation

 Five food groups and amounts formed the basis for the Food Guide
Pyramid

 Daily amounts of food provided at three calorie levels

 First illustrated for a Red Cross nutrition course as a food wheel

1992: Food Guide Pyramid

 Total diet approach—goals for both nutrient adequacy and moderation

 Developed using consumer research, to bring awareness to the new food

patterns

 Illustration focused on concepts of variety, moderation, and proportion

 Included visualization of added fats and sugars throughout five food

groups and in the tip

 Included range for daily amounts of food across three calorie levels

1992: Food Guide Pyramid

 Total diet approach—goals for both nutrient adequacy and moderation

 Developed using consumer research, to bring awareness to the new food

patterns

 Illustration focused on concepts of variety, moderation, and proportion

 Included visualization of added fats and sugars throughout five food

groups and in the tip

 Included range for daily amounts of food across three calorie levels
 1992: Food Guide Pyramid

 Total diet approach—goals for both nutrient adequacy and moderation

 Developed using consumer research, to bring awareness to the new food

patterns

 Illustration focused on concepts of variety, moderation, and proportion

 Included visualization of added fats and sugars throughout five food

groups and in the tip

 Included range for daily amounts of food across three calorie levels

Food guide

. The Philippines uses the daily nutritional guide pyramid and has developed pyramids for different
population groups. The pyramid is divided into levels of recommended consumption. Messages about
exercise and personal and environmental hygiene serve as support messages for the pyramid.

The healthy food plate for Filipino adults (Pinggang Pinoy) completes the messages of the pyramid by
showing adequate distribution of nutritious foods in a meal

Messages

 Eat a variety of foods every day to get the nutrients needed by the body.
 Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to 6 months, then give appropriate complementary
foods while continuing breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond for optimum growth and development.
 Eat more vegetables and fruits every day to get the essential vitamins, minerals and fibre for
regulation of body processes.
 Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, dried beans or nuts daily for growth and repair of body
tissues.
 Consume milk, milk products and other calcium-rich foods, such as small fish and shellfish, every
day for healthy bones and teeth.
 Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhoea and other food and water-borne diseases.
 Use iodized salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.
 Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty and sugar-rich foods to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
 Attain normal body weight through proper diet and moderate physical activity to maintain good
health and help prevent obesity.
 Be physically active, make healthy food choices, manage stress, avoid alcoholic beverages and
do not smoke to help prevent lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases.

What is food exchange?

The word exchange refers to the food items on each list which may be substituted with
any other food item on the same list.
 One exchange is approximately equal to another in carbohydrate, calories, protein and
fat within each food list.

The last published version of the Exchange Lists for Meal Planning was published by
the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association in January
2013. These food exchange lists can be used to assess serving sizes for each food
group.

Diabetic exchange
A diabetic exchange diet is designed to allow you easy control over the amount of sugar
and cholesterol you allow into your body. A successful diabetic exchange diet will help
to control your weight, BMI (Body Mass Index) and your sugar levels.

It is necessary to carefully measure food in a diabetic exchange diet, and it is generally

recommended to eat three meals and one snack per day.

The diabetic exchange divides foods into six specific groups, and measures food per
serving size.

 Try the Food Exchange Calculator

A balanced diet will take the correct proportion from each food group, and your dietician
will tell you the number of servings that should be eaten from each food group per day.

Food in the same group may be exchanged to give variety. Be sure to carefully
measure or weigh each food and drink item.