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May 5, 2005
Prairie Fare: Exploring the New Pyramid
“Mom, did you know there’s a new food pyramid?” my 9-year-old son excitedly asked me the other day. “Yes, I’ve heard a bit about it,” I replied, thinking about the numerous e-mail messages from nutrition discussion groups around the U.S. “There’s a Web site, too!” he exclaimed. This was a teachable moment, I thought. I was probably more excited than he was. “Would you like to check it out? We could find out how you’re doing compared with the pyramid,” I said. “Sure,” he eagerly replied, so we logged onto www.mypyramid.gov. In the section labeled “my pyramid plan,” we entered his age, gender and amount of physical activity to learn his individualized recommendations. He wanted to know the recommendations for everyone in the family. “Wow, the baby doesn’t need very much food,” he said. “Well, she’s only about 2 and weighs less than 30 pounds,” I replied. Next, he wanted to check out the “pyramid tracker.” We decided to analyze his diet using the searchable database. I entered his weight, height and the food and amounts he ate that day on the “assess your food intake” section. We then compared his choices with the dietary guidelines. He was rewarded with mainly yellow “smiley” faces. He was not happy to get a “frowning” face next to fruits. “Well, you ate a half cup, and the goal is two cups of fruit for your age and size. That’s why it’s not smiling at you.” “Well, don’t tell anybody,” he said. I didn’t answer. So, don’t tell him I told you. Next, we compared his day to the “my pyramid” recommendations, which produced a multicolored graph highlighting his fruit shortage. He looked displeased. “It’s only 6:30, so you can still meet the goal,” I told him, slightly amazed at his reaction. Soon he was rummaging through the refrigerator. “Have an orange,” I suggested. He was thirsty and wanted orange juice. Finally, we printed his actual nutrient intake, comparing his choices with the recommendations. “I’m doing fine on energy, fat, protein, cholesterol, saturated fat, calcium and iron, but I’m a little low in fiber and potassium,” he noted. I nearly fainted. “Do you want to take over my job?” I asked. “Maybe,” he said with a little smirk. “First, we better work on your fruit intake,” I replied with a grin. “We’ll try these tips from the Web site, such as making fruit kabobs, packing a 100 percent juice box for your school snack and keeping cut-up fruit in the fridge,” I replied. He already was drinking a glass of orange juice. Here’s a tasty recipe that will entice people to meet their fruit goal.
Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
