Burton Fire Chamber Consumer Hospital Co. Library USC Library Penn Ctr. The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It's not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet right for you. The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get nutrients you need and right amount of calories to maintain or improve your weight. The pyramid also focuses on fat.
Most diets are too high in fat, especially saturated fat.
The Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes foods from five major food groups. Each food group provides some, but not all, nutrients you need. Foods in one group can't replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another - for good health, you need them all. The small tip of the pyramid shows fats, oils and sweets.