• Healthy eating can be a balancing act.balance image by Blue Moon from Fotolia.com
  
  

A system that worked

• The old food pyramid emphasized five major food groups within a tiered system of horizontal bands. Within this system were general nutritional recommendations indicating the number of servings to consume from each food group: more of foods near the bottom of the pyramid and less of foods near the top.
  
  

A customizable system for you

• Although the old pyramid provided guidelines about how much a person should eat within each food group, these guidelines were broad. The major difference between the new food pyramid and previous versions is its customizable nature. The new pyramid embraces the fact that not all people are the same and thus people need differing amounts of specific nutrients and food groups.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Most experts agree that the new food pyramid is better than the old. Registered dietitian Chris Chandler says, "Overall, the new food pyramid represents a major step forward ... as it is more adaptable and dynamic than previous versions." In addition, he states that the new food pyramid is the first to "incorporate physical activity recommendations, represented by the figure running up the side of the pyramid."