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Releases No. 0127.99
Questions & Answers
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children
Why did USDA develop a Pyramid for young children?
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children was developed to help improve the diets of young
children two to six years old. An adaptation of the original Food Guide Pyramid was needed
because young children have unique food patterns and needs, and many young children are not
eating healthful diets. In addition, early food experiences are crucial to food preferences and
patterns throughout life. USDA receives numerous requests for information about feeding young
children and how to use the Food Guide Pyramid with young children, particularly with respect to
serving sizes.
How is the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children different from the original Food Guide
Pyramid?
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children is different in several respects from the original, to
make the graphic and messages easier to understand for this audience and their parents and
caregivers. First, the Pyramid has been simplified by shortening food group names and using
single numbers rather than ranges for numbers of servings.
Second, the Pyramid graphic was designed to be more understandable and appealing to young
children. Realistic food items, in single serving portions when possible, were used in the graphic.
The abstract "sprinkles" that symbolized fat and added sugars in the original Pyramid were
eliminated, and in the tip of the Pyramid these symbols were replaced with drawings of food
items.
Third, the educational message that physical activity is important is stressed by showing young
children engaged in active pursuits surrounding the Pyramid.
Is USDA changing its advice about what kids should eat?
No. The new illustration and materials were designed to be more appealing and appropriate for
young children, but the nutritional advice has not changed. The decision not to change the
nutritional advice was based on research about what children eat and their nutritional needs.
Nutritionists at USDA identified what foods young children actually eat, from a nationwide food
consumption survey. They compared these food choices, if eaten in amounts recommended by
the Food Guide Pyramid, to children's nutrient needs. This research showed that young children's
nutritional needs could be met by eating combinations of the foods they normally eat, in Pyramid
recommended amounts. Therefore, the recommendations in the Food Guide Pyramid for Young
Children were based on the original Pyramid. The food groups are the same as those in the
original, and the numbers of servings recommended for young children fall at the lower end of the
recommended ranges.
What are the main nutrition messages illustrated by the new graphic?
The main focus of the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children is on eating a variety of foods.
Eating foods from each of the major Pyramid food groups everyday is the best way for children to
grow well and be healthy. Children would also benefit from getting more variety within certain
food groups, choosing more whole grains and dark green vegetables, for example.
While focusing on the importance of variety, the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children
de-emphasizes fat restriction, recognizing that some fats are necessary for early growth and
development. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that fat in preschoolers' diets be
gradually reduced from their current levels (34% of total calories) to the level recommended for
most people (no more than 30% of total calories) by about 5 years of age.
How do children's actual diets compare to the recommendations made in the Food Guide
Pyramid for Young Children?
Young children are not eating the recommended numbers of servings from most of the five major
food groups. The recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children are
compared to the actual amounts eaten by young children and by all individuals age 2 and over
in the chart below. The actual intakes are from a USDA nationwide survey of food consumption.
What foods in the graphic are there because children eat them often, and what foods are
there because children need to eat more of them?
Most of the foods in the graphic are those foods commonly eaten by young children. For
example, fruit juices are more popular with young children than whole fruits. Potatoes and
tomatoes are the most frequently eaten vegetables. Some cooked vegetables, such as green beans,
are eaten more often than salad greens by young children. Breads, ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, and
tortillas are all common grain choices of young children.
Dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach are not eaten frequently by young children, but were
included in the illustration to encourage children to eat them more often. Of dark-green
vegetables, broccoli is eaten most often by this age group. Baked potato is not the most
commonly served form of potato but was illustrated to encourage serving children lower fat
versions of this popular vegetable. Whole-grain products also were shown to encourage eating
them more often.
Does USDA expect that children two to six years old will understand the messages in the
Pyramid graphic?
The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children graphic was not designed to be a stand-alone piece.
It is an educational tool to be used by parents and caregivers with their children. The design
incorporates features that parents, during focus group testing, said would make it "child-friendly"
and easier to use in teaching their children. However they recognized that they would need to
help their children understand the meaning of the Pyramid. The Pyramid provides a framework
for fun and interactive family learning and an opportunity for parents to model healthful food
choices. The accompanying booklet provides parents and caretakers with tips to help them
select foods for their children, ways to model healthful behaviors, and activities to teach children about
the Pyramid, nutrition, and health.
Is the original Pyramid still appropriate for educational efforts targeted to 2- to 6-year olds?
The original Pyramid illustrates the food guide developed for the general population, with ranges
of servings from each food group suggested to meet the nutritional and calorie needs of people of
diverse ages, sizes, and activity levels. Either Pyramid could be used in educational efforts
for groups that include parents of young children, depending on the specific objectives of the
education. Both illustrate the same concepts, but the adapted graphic is more visually appealing
to young children.
What impact will the Year 2000 Dietary Guidelines have on the Food Guide Pyramid for
Young Children? Why release the children's pyramid now?
The food groupings and recommended number of servings in each group depicted on the Food
Guide Pyramid for Young Children graphic are based on meeting nutrient requirements (RDAs)
using foods patterns commonly consumed by young children. These factors will not be changed
by revisions in the Dietary Guidelines.
USDA has had many requests for the type of information contained in the Food Guide Pyramid
for Young Children and, therefore, we believe the public is best served by releasing it now.
USDA has used the best available science in developing the adapted Pyramid, and there is
sufficient scientific evidence to go forward with its release at this time.
How can someone get copies of the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children?
The graphic and booklet may be downloaded from the home page of the USDA Center for
Nutrition Policy and Promotion on the World Wide Web. The URL for the home page is
http://www.usda.gov/cnpp . Copies may also be ordered from the Government Printing Office.
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