In April 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services announced the replacement of the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid with a new food guidance system and graphic called "MyPyramid". It provides tools to help Americans translate and customize the recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

MyPyramid has six color bands representing the five food groups — Grains (orange), Vegetables (green), Fruits (red), Milk (blue), Meat & Beans (purple) - as well as Fats & Oils, represented by a yellow band. Unlike the previous Pyramid, individual foods or numbers of servings are not represented in the MyPyramid graphic. Rather, the graphic serves as a call to action to seek more information by visiting MyPyramid.gov for dietary recommendations that are personalized for your calorie needs.

The MyPyramid symbol contains several messages. Here's a look at the key ones:

• Activity: It is important to be active every day. The Pyramid is 3 - dimensional, and shows a person climbing steps up the side, representing the importance of daily physical activity.
• Variety: The six different color bands symbolize the message that eating a wide variety of foods every day is valuable.
• Gradual Improvement: The slogan "Steps to a Healthier You" accompanies the pyramid symbol, suggesting the health benefits that individuals can realize by making small improvements to their diets and lifestyles every day.
• Proportionality: Each food group band has a different width. The widths show relative amounts of food a person should choose from each group.
• Moderation: The bands are wider at the bottom of the pyramid and narrow as they go up to the top. Foods that have little or no solid fats or added sugars are represented by the wider base, showing that these should be chosen more often.
• Personalization: By visiting MyPyramid.gov and entering your information, you can find out how much of each food group you should eat and what your personal pyramid looks like.

What tools are available to help me personalize MyPyramid?

Check out MyPyramid.gov to personalize the new recommendations to fit your needs. A number of tools are available:

• MyPyramid Plan—This tool will help you find a quick estimate of the kinds and amounts of foods to eat each day. When you enter your age, gender, and activity level, you will get a food plan with daily amounts from each food group according to the calorie level that is estimated for you. You can print out a personalized mini-poster of your plan, and a worksheet to help you track your progress.
• Inside the Pyramid—This section provides in-depth information about each food group. Here you can also find tips and resources to help implement your plan.
• MyPyramid Tracker—This section is for those who want a detailed assessment and analysis of current eating and physical activity habits. To use this tool, enter all of the foods you eat for a day and all the physical activities you perform. From this information you can compare your intake to the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, see your overall nutrient intake, and find out if you are in energy balance. You can also track your progress over time for up to one year.
• MyPyramid Menu Planner—This new easy-to-use tool, launched in 2008, generates estimates of your personal nutritional needs. After entering information about yourself (name, age, gender, weight, height and activity level), you can enter the foods and amounts you have eaten or plan to eat, for up to seven days. Your plan will be compared to your estimated needs and you'll see graphic images that help you interpret the results. You can add family members too!