The Food Pyramid
and Your Sports Nutrition Plan

MyPyramid.gov has replaced the outdated food pyramid. To keep a sports nutrition plan simple, you can adapt standard guidelines. The food groups are basically the same, but some numbers and nutrition concepts have been revised by the USDA.

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MyPyramid was designed for the general population, but you can access different calorie levels. Each calorie level has a set recommendation for servings from each food group. The guidelines are not very clear for vegetarians or women with food intolerances.
Learn more about calories.

An active woman may need more carbs for fuel than the food pyramid recommends.
Learn more about carbohydrate.

The new pyramid does not address sodium and fluids, both of which are crucial for safe hydration during training or performance.
Learn more about fluids and sports drinks.

Timing your meals to optimize tolerance and energy is important. The new guidelines gives food serving suggestions, not meal planning strategies.
Learn more about timing your nutrition.

Nutrition plans may include vitamins or nutrition supplements to complement the diet. These are not addressed with the new guidelines.
Learn more about vitamins nutrition supplements.

All the new pyramid guidelines are online. This is fine if you have the time to dig deep into the government site and download page after page of numbers. There is great information available, but it can be overwhelming.
Learn more about MyPyramid.gov.

Bottom line…MyPyramid is a place to start, but you’ll need to adapt the number of servings for your nutrition goals.

First, make sure you have considered the food pyramid in your sports nutrition goals. Most of us know where we can improve. Build your confidence by working on one food group or nutrient at a time. The whole foods section of this site gives you specific nutrition ideas for each food group, or you can focus on specific goals like hydration or energy. You may want to get a specific recommendation from a Registered Dietitian working with sports nutrition.