http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html

The food guide pyramid has been rebuilt! The biggest change is that the
food groups are no longer horizontal blocks of the pyramid. Now, a
rainbow of colored, vertical stripes represent the five food groups, as
well as fats and oils. Here's what the colors stand for:

orange - grains
green - vegetables
red - fruits
blue - milk and dairy products
purple - meat, beans, fish, and nuts
yellow - oils

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the pyramid because
they wanted to do a better job of telling Americans how to be healthy.
Notice the guy climbing the staircase up the side of the pyramid.
That's a way of showing how important it is to exercise and be active.
For a kid, that means playing a lot! The steps are also a way of saying
that you can make changes little by little to be healthier. One step at
a time, get it?

The Pyramid Speaks
Let's look at some of the other messages this new symbol is trying to
send:

Eat a variety of foods. A balanced diet is one that includes all the
food groups.

Eat less of some foods, and more of others. You can see that the bands
for meat and protein (purple) and oils (yellow) are skinnier than the
others. That's because you need less of those kinds of foods than you
do of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy foods.

You also can see the bands start out wider and get thinner as they
approach the top. That's designed to show you that not all foods are
created equal, even within a healthy food group like fruit. For
instance, apple pie might be in that thin part of the fruit band
because it has a lot of added sugar and fat. A whole apple - crunch! -
would be down in the wide part because you can eat more of those within
a healthy diet.

Make it personal. Through the USDA's MyPyramid website, people can get
personalized recommendations about the mix of foods they need to eat
and how much they should be eating. The USDA has said that a kids'
version of the pyramid will be available soon.

How Much Do I Need to Eat?
Everyone wants to know how much they should eat to stay healthy. It's a
tricky question, though. It depends on your age, whether you're a girl
or a boy, and how active you are. Kids who are more active burn more
calories, so they need more calories. But we can give you some
estimates for how much you need of each food group.

Grains
Grains are measured out in ounce equivalents. What the heck are they?
Ounce equivalents are just another way of showing a serving size.

Here are ounce equivalents for common grain foods. An ounce equivalent
equals:

1 piece of bread
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, like oatmeal
1/2 cup or rice or pasta
1 cup of cold cereal

4- to 8-year-olds need 4 to 5 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 6 ounce equivalents each day.

And one last thing about grains: Try to eat a lot of whole grains, such
as 100% wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Vegetables
Of course, you need your vegetables, especially those dark green and
orange ones. But how much is enough? Vegetable servings are measured in
cups.

4- to 8-year-olds need 1 1/2 cups of veggies each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of veggies each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 2 1/2 cups of veggies each day.

Fruits
Sweet, juicy fruit is definitely part of a healthy diet. Here's how
much you need:

4- to 8-year-olds need 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.

Milk and Other Calcium-Rich Foods
Calcium builds strong bones to last a lifetime, so you need these foods
in your diet.

4- to 8-year-olds need 1 cup to 2 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich
food) each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 3 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich
food) each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 3 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich
food) each day.

If you want something other than milk, you can substitute yogurt,
cheese, or calcium-fortified orange juice - just to name a few.

Meats, Beans, Fish, and Nuts
These foods contain iron and lots of other important nutrients. Like
grains, these foods are  measured in ounce equivalents.

An ounce equivalent of this group would be:

1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish
1/4 cup cooked dry beans
1 egg
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
a small handful of nuts or seeds

4- to 8-year-olds need 3 to 4 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 5 ounce equivalents each day.

Whoa! That's a lot to swallow. The good news is that your mom, dad, and
the other grownups in your life will help you eat what you need to stay
healthy. There's more good news - you don't have to become a perfect
eater overnight. Just remember those stairs climbing up the side of the
new pyramid and take it one step at a time.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: April 2005