Stop Looking At Silly Food Pyramids And Start Using Your Own Brain To Figure Out What To Eat
I’m sure you’re familiar with the Food Pyramid, that triangular formation divided into six sections to give us a visual of what food we should be eating every day. Americans were introduced to it in 1992, but did you know that it was originally designed in Sweden in the 1970s? The Swedish government asked the National Board of Health and Welfare to assist citizens who were dealing with rampant high food prices. Their response was to create a visual aid to show which foods were essential to human health and which ones supplemented the basic foods with vitamins and minerals so that the public could spend their grocery dollars wisely.
In 1992, the USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, unveiled its version of the Food Pyramid, ostensibly to guide Americans to basic foods that should be consumed each day, as well as recommended proportions for better health. Previous guidance from the USDA included 1943’s Basic Seven and the updated Basic Four that was released in 1956 and used until 1992. Both nutrition guides suggested the basic food groups, without detail on quantity.
There was immediate controversy when the new Food Pyramid was released in 1992. There were dramatic differences from the version that was approved for distribution and the original created…
