Good nutrition can protect against disease later in life.
The Food Guide Pyramid, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are national recommendations to help people choose diets that promote health and reduce disease risks. Fats and oils, located at the top of the food pyramid, should be used sparingly. Recent studies show that few American children are meeting all of the recommendations outlined in the food pyramid. Teenage girls, on average, failed to meet any of them. One essential nutrient lacking in the diets of many children and teens is calcium, found primarily in dairy products and in dark, leafy green vegetables.