Have you looked at the food pyramid lately? MyPyramid is the newest pyramid. It provides a lot of information about good food choices, including minimum and maximum daily intakes. It also recommends activity levels. Follow its guidance to attain and maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Here are some tips on how to use it:

• Yikes! Stripes! The food groups in MyPyramid are shown in stripes. The larger the stripe, the more you need to eat from that group. • The Man On The Stairs. Notice the person taking stairs on the pyramid. The message is, if you want to eat foods that are higher in fat or sugar, you need to be more active to compensate for the extra calories. • Your Recommendation. On the website www.mypyramid.gov, you can enter your age, height, weight, gender and activity level. You will be given a personalized diet plan. Here’s an example: The recommendation for a 40-year-old woman who is 5’4” tall and weighs 140 pounds and gets 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity a day is: 7 oz. of grains, 3 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of milk and 6 oz. of protein foods. She also is given 290 discretionary calories per day. • Discretionary Calories? Discretionary calories let you eat something that has a little more fat or sugar. However, be warned: discretionary calories go fast. One medium order of fries has 325 calories. A 20-oz. bottle of soda has 260 calories. Drinking one 8-oz. glass of whole milk uses 65 discretionary calories. Drink skim milk instead and save those discretionary calories for a tablespoon of cream cheese on your bagel.

If you want to know more about how to use MyPyramid, call 1-888-7-PYRAMID (888-779-7264) from 8am to 3pm ET, Monday through Friday.