What Were the Recommendations for Fat Intake According to the MyPyramid Food Guide?

he U.S. Department of Agriculture formed the MyPyramid Food Guidance System to help Americans determine how many servings they need from each of the different food groups. In 2011, the USDA stopped using MyPyramid and switched to the MyPlate food guide. MyPyramid based the recommendation for fat intake on daily calorie need.

According to the archived USDA MyPyramid Food Intake Patterns, the daily recommended oil intake ranged from three teaspoons to 11 teaspoons per day, based on calorie intake. A person who consumed 1,000 calories per day needed three teaspoons of oil; 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day called for four teaspoons per day; 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day called for five teaspoons per day; 2,000 to 2,2000 calories per day required six teaspoons per day; 2,400 calories per day required seven teaspoons per day; 2,600 to 2,800 calories required eight teaspoons per day; 3,000 calories required ten teaspoons per day; and 3,200 calories per day required 11 teaspoons per day.

The MyPyramid Food Guidance System Education Framework is also archived at the ChooseMyPlate.gov website. The framework states that you need dietary oils to provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Following the recommended amounts would also help keep your calories in balance. The amounts were small because fats and oils are high in calories.

The educational framework also explained how people should choose mostly monounsaturated fats, in foods such as nuts and avocados, and polyunsaturated fats that are found in fish, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. The framework also suggests fat-free, low-fat or lean meats, poultry and dairy products, and foods low in saturated, or solid, fats and trans fats.

The current MyPlate system bases oil need on gender and age. Children ages 2 to 3 are allowed three teaspoons per day; children ages 4 to 8 are allowed four teaspoons per day; and children ages 9 to 13 are allowed five teaspoons per day. Girls from 14 to 18 can have five teaspoons per day, while boys of the same age can have six teaspoons per day. Adult women to age 30 are allowed six teaspoons per day, then five teaspoons of oil per day from age 30 and older. Adult men can have seven teaspoons of oil per day until the age of 31, when it is lowered to six teaspoons every day.

Article reviewed by DonaldM Last updated on: Jun 4, 2012

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