The Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It’s not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that’s right for you. The Food Guide Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount or improve your weight.

The Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes foods from the five major food groups shown in the three lower sections of The Food Guide Pyramid. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients you need. Foods in one group can’t replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another - for good health, you need them all.