So, does anyone actually use or refer to the food pyramid?

I never have. I just try to get a balance of everything. The new food pyramid seems more complicated to me than the old one. I am clueless as to how to read it, even tho I have read about it...

If anyone does use it, which do you prefer the old one or the new one?

I give it a passing nod...

My usual daily diet includes mostly cereals, grains, legumes, fruits & vegies with moderate amounts of dairy and usually a small handful of nuts - I eat very little meat (I'm not vegetarian, meat was always just to expensive throughout Uni and even though I can well afford it now I got out of the habit and lost the taste for it lol. I only have it now if I crave it!)

It works for me!

Liv

Because I was trained so thoroughly in using the pyramid for feeding children, I find I cannot break away from it! I'm not even sure what the new one is like and I don't always follow the pyramid for myself but I always have it in the back of my mind when feeding my daughter. I don't think about it. It's just so ingrained that it shapes the way I plan menus and meals. For myself, I have veered more towards the bulk of my meals being veggies instead of grains. For example, I always have at least 2 servings of veggies at dinner and many times, 3. Is that what the new pyramid is about?

Okay, I just had a look at a new pyramid. It's much more broken down, isn't it? I would have found it very confusing before but now that I've been concentrating on healthy eating (emphasis on whole foods) it makes alot of sense to me. I actually think I like it better. I like the fact that the base of the pyramid is now fruit and veg instead of grains (and under that, it actually says moderate exercise!) and I like that it has healthy oils on there and that the dairy section says "low-fat dairy".

Here's a link to a pic: http://makinghealthychoices.info/Nut...mid_DRH500.gif

I like the new one much better than the old. It's more in line with the way I eat. (I don't follow it, but I guess that means it follows me??)