The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) first introduced its food pyramid in 1992. The pyramid offered visual guidance on the optimal number of servings of the different food groups. Bread, rice, pasta, and cereal were at the bottom, and fats, oils, and sweets were at the top. Fruit, vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, eggs, and nuts were sandwiched in between.
Since then, the food pyramid has had several makeovers, eventually being replaced with what was known as "MyPlate" in 2011. That graphic featured a plate divided into four sections with fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, and dairy adjacent to the plate.
But last month, the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly announced they were bringing back the food pyramid, flipping it on its head quite literally. Part of the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), the new inverted pyramid features red meat, cheese, whole milk, vegetables, and fruits at the very top.
"An inverted pyramid is an odd construct," said Susan Mayne, professor (adjunct) of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. "The pyramid that was used in the past was designed to show a strong foundation and what foods contribute to that. This pyramid conveys a shaky foundation, which is ironically consistent with some of the underlying science."
