The food guide pyramid, informally known as the food pyramid, and formally titled the Improved American Food Guide Pyramid is a historical nutrition guide published in 1992 by the USDA to replace the earlier food groups classification system. The food guide pyramid suggested optimal nutrition guidelines for each food category, per day, using a mnemonic graphic of a pyramid with horizontal dividing lines, to represent suggested percentages of the daily diet for each food group. The food guide pyramid was superseded by the current USDA nutrition advisory program titled "MyPyramid" in April 2005.

"Two servings of shrimp scampi per year is absolutely essential, and it is preferable that one be a microwaveable meal from the Contessa frozen-foods line, and the other be eaten at a fancy restaurant, like the Lobster Tail off Route 22, on a nice summer evening with the woman you love," acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said.

The USDA and public health advocates recognize that Americans are eating too much fat and sugar, and too few fruits and vegetables. The Food Guide Pyramid recommends eating several times more servings of fruits & vegetables than meat, yet the government pours much more funding into farming livestock than growing fresh produce.

"Small servings" vs delicious dining

Among the healthiest of all healthy foods are fruits and vegetables. There is a good reason that fruits and vegetables make up such a large part of the government’s new health food pyramid. The new government guidelines recommend that everyone eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day..