Technical Abstract: Regular consumption of whole grains, fresh fruits and deeply colored vegetables has been associated with maintaining ideal body weight, healthy bowel function and lowered risk of degenerative diseases. Grains are the dominant portion of the Food Guide Pyramid and should provide 60% of the calories, mainly as complex carbohydrates, and some protein and fat. The American population needs to increase the consumption of grains, fruits and vegetables by 20-25% to meet the requirement of a healthy diet. The revised USDA Food Guide Pyramid needs to build on the current pyramid, but consider the needs of people of different ages and at different activity levels and use of specific measurements like cups or ounces instead of servings.