K Humphries, S Langstaff, D Bainbridge, T Seekins.

The Wise Choices Food

Pyramid: What if we did compare apples and oranges?. The Internet Journal
of Nutrition and ellness. !""# $olume % Number !.
Kathleen Humphries, one of the authors of this &ournal holds a 'h.D from The
(ni)ersit* of +ontana ,ural Institute on Disabilit* as -ell as Tom Seekins. The other
authors are Donna Bainbridge, .d.D from The (ni)ersit* of +ontana ,ural Institute
on Disabilities and Sierra Langstaff,B.S a student during the stud* at The (ni)ersit*
of +ontana.
Journal Summar*
The sub&e/t of this arti/le is to re)ie- the )isual guide to health* foods to
support indi)iduals in making better nutritional /hoi/es /alled The ise 0hoi/es
1ood '*ramid. The ise 0hoi/e 1ood '*ramid pro)ides additional )isual guidan/e
for an indi)idual -anting to sele/t food -ithin a food group that -ould suppl* the
most nutritional benefit. The (nited States Department of 2gri/ultural 3(SD24
+*'*ramid illustrates the need of )ariet*, moderation, and balan/e /ontained -ithin
the basi/ groups of grains, )egetables, fruits, oils, dair*, meat and beans and
dis/retionar* /alories. The Dietar* 5uidelines for 2meri/ans suggest /hoosing
-isel* -ithin the food groups but does not offer pra/ti/al suggestions on -hi/h foods
are better /hoi/es. 'ra/ti/all* the +*'*ramid /reate a healthful diet. Ho-e)er
+*'*ramid does not pro)ide )isual guidan/e for indi)idual -anting to sele/t foods
-ithin a food group that -ould suppl* the most nutritional benefit.
The ise 0hoi/es 1ood '*ramid is a tool for a/hie)ing the Dietar*
5uideline6s re/ommendation to /hoose -isel* -ithin a food group. It is a )isual
representation of /ommonl* eaten foods ranked, based on the most /ompelling
s/ientifi/ information /urrentl* a)ailable on health* diets. The /riteria for ranking the
foods -ithin ea/h food group /ame from the follo-ing sour/es7
8. The Dietar* 5uidelines for 2meri/ans 9 makes some spe/ifi/ re/ommendations
for -hat foods and ho- mu/h or often the* should be /onsumed.
!. The Summar* of the S/ientifi/ 0onferen/e on pre)enti)e Nutrition 9 a report and
re/ommendations on food habits and dietar* pra/ti/es.
:. Ba/kground on 1un/tional 1ood 9 a publi/ation from the international 1ood
Information 0oun/il 1oundation 3I1I04.
;. The 'osition of the 2meri/an Dieteti/ 2sso/iation on 1un/tional 1ood 9
summari<e the strength of e)iden/e for fun/tional food /urrentl* on the (.S market.
Nutrient densit* also in/luded for ea/h group of the p*ramid. Nutrient densit*
is defined as the amount of essential and benefi/ial nutrients or food /omponent
relati)e to the number of /alories in the food.
0riti/al ,efle/tions
The dominant purpose of the &ournal seems to be to /on)in/e the reader that
The ise 0hoi/es 1ood '*ramid is an edu/ational tool that supports /onsumers in
making higher =ualit* food /hoi/es, thus making a more ade=uate and healthful diet
a//essible -ith minimum effort. Ho-e)er The ise 0hoi/e 1ood '*ramid
re/ommendations are for the general publi/ o)er t-o *ears of age and it is not a
therapeuti/ diet for an* spe/ifi/ health /ondition.
1rom the resear/h the authors found that in the past, nutrient professionals
ha)e been hesitate to rank food based on goodness be/ause the* assumed that
until there is firm s/ientifi/ e)iden/e that a ranking s*stem /an be agreed upon
s/ientifi/all* )alidated, ranking food should not be done.
The authors also belief that there is no absolute truth in ranking all food and
the food manufa/turers on the other hand are not relu/tant to make /omparati)e
health /laims about their produ/ts be/ause there is onl* one )oi/e, the t*pi/al
/onsumers re/ei)es onl* the messages from those -ith /ommer/ial biases. 2s a
result a s*stem and /riteria of ranking all food -ill ne)er pass s/ientifi/ support. The
authors also stated that the* are not seeking the ultimate truth in rankings but rather
pro)iding publi/ health guidan/e and use The ise 0hoi/es 1ood '*ramids in health
promotion -orkshops.
1inall* the* said man* /onsiderations go into menu planning or
mealtime de/isions, in/luding eaters6 food preferen/es, /ost, time to prepare,
a)ailabilit* of food and spe/ial dietar* needs. hen the* use The ise 0hoi/e 1ood
'*ramid in health promotion -orkshop the* introdu/e the /on/epts of >nutritionall*
better /hoi/es -ithin food group? during menu planning e@er/ises. An/e the menu
are planned to be nutritionall* ade=uate and meet indi)iduals, spe/ial dietar* needs,
the* /an usuall* be impro)ed for healthfulness b* fo/using spe/ifi/ food /hoi/es
from the left side of The ise 0hoi/es 1ood '*ramid.
0on/lusion
1rom the resear/h the authors /ome out -ith a great solution in making food
/hoi/es -ithin the food group, not among for people to lead a health* lifest*le.
Ho-e)er nutrition professionals /ounsel /onsumes that there are man* -a*s for
them to /hoose a diet that /ontains less added fats, transBfats and sugars and
minimi<e the natural saturated fats and ma@imi<e the essential nutrients. The ise
0hoi/e 1ood '*ramid helps translate that ad)i/e into real food /hoi/es. The ise
0hoi/es 1ood '*ramid displa*s onl* about 8:" foods but the* are not onl* options in
a t*pi/al estern diet.
This )isual aids to dietar* /hoi/es -as originall* /on/ei)ed for persons -ho
need /on/rete e@amples of health* )ersus less health* food /hoi/es. It /an be useful
for man* populations su/h as adults on -eight loss programs, /hildren, seniors or
other indi)iduals -ith ne-l* diagnosed health /onditions or in/reased health
a-areness. The authors hope The ise 0hoi/es 1ood '*ramid /an be a ne- tool to
e@plain ho- to plan and /hoose healthier food options.