Technologically Challenged?

For those who don't have access to a computer, the government says they will release an old-fashioned pen and pencil version we can all use to calculate what our food intake should be.


While the algorithm used to determine our food intake is under some scrutiny.

The requirements for a man in his mid-40s, for example, can be identical to that of his 15 year old son.

Experts say the overall message here is a good one.

Namely, that we need to take an individual look at what and how much we are eating.

Sometimes we try to make things to complicated with all of the infomation that is out there.

The basic thing is, we are eating more than we need, and as a result we are getting to be a much heavier society, with not enough exersize to burn off the extra calories we are putting into our bodies.

They were trying to be adaptable, and that's always a difficult thing when you are dealing with millions and millions of people.

The Fruit and Veggie Challenge

Experts help you learn just what you need to know,to stay within the government's new food guidelines.



"Have a bowl of oatmeal cereal for breakfast and you have two servings.

Eat your lunch on two slices of whole wheat bread and you have two more servings. you've made your whole-grain requirement for the day.

Once you've figured out how much of each food group you need each day, you can figure out how to meet these requirements. And meeting these requirements may also be easier than you think.

"Most people eat at least a cup of salad at a time, so if you eat one with lunch, you've got two servings of vegetables; add a half cup of another vegetable with dinner and you are there."

For breakfast, she suggests drinking just 4 ounces of a whole juice. grab an apple for an afternoon snack, which can fill your fruit requirement for the day.

"It's really not that difficult if you just stop to think about it,"

That, is precisely what the new pyramid was designed to help us do.

The 'real life' take-home message is to make wise food choices, whenever possible opting for the most nutrient dense foods.

Watch your portion sizes, and get some exercise every day. That's all you really need to remember.

Pyramid message 2

The second new message:

No single eating plan is right for all people.

While getting that point across now involves navigating through 12 different pyramids .

For men, women, and children of varying weights and ages , experts say the suggestion here is simpler than it seems.

"The basic message is that not all people need the same amount of food.

For example, if you are overweight then you need to consume less food than someone your same age and gender who is not overweight.

To help us figure out which pyramid has our name on it, the web site offers a program, found at http://my.webmd.com/click?url=http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov.

Here you enter your age, weight, sex, and activity level, to find out what you need to eat as well as track it.
Or you can simply go to WebMD's special report on The New Food Pyramid and check out the charts and information on each food group to help you figure out how much you should eat each day