Learning Resources Food Pyramid Pocket Chart with Cards

by Learning Resources

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13 x 12 x 0.3 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000G3G1KE
• Item model number: LER2494
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,071 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 13, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Food Pyramid Pocket Chart with Cards hanging chart shows current USDA nutritional guidelines, with brightly colored sections representing each of the 6 food groups. Clear card pockets sewn into rugged, coated nylon display the 95 nutrition pocket chart cards (included). An additional clear pocket stores cards.

Product Description

PreK & up. The chart is divided into 6 colored sections for displaying the 95 nutrition cards (included) and an additional pocket to store cards when not in use. Nylon fabric with clear pockets. 40" x 41".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good teaching tool, November 26, 2008

By 

Julie K. Brown (California, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Learning Resources Food Pyramid Pocket Chart with Cards (Office Product)

This is a durable product and a good teaching tool. Be aware that it doesn't stand up alone, so you must have someplace to hang it in your classroom.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not much fun, January 1, 2010

By 

a scientist (US) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Learning Resources Food Pyramid Pocket Chart with Cards (Office Product)

Obviously, this "toy" isn't supposed to be all that fun. I imagine the very small will have fun putting the food cards into the different categories, but I find it hard to imagine that anyone over the age of 6 would find this remotely fun. There are spare pockets to add foods that you eat a lot of. However, I challenge anyone to correctly classify pizza, except by its components.

This toy is supposed to be educational, and that's where I have a problem with it.
I don't understand the new food pyramid. It just doesn't make sense anymore. It has lost the "pyramid" part of the equation: it no longer includes any indication of how much of each particular food group to eat. Doh! It was designed in collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health, who should be extremely ashamed of themselves.

Just because people in this country are getting fatter does NOT mean that the old food pyramid was wrong. The old pyramid indicated by means of stratification that one should eat fewer bread products than fruits/veggies, even fewer dairy products, even less meat, and a tiny amount of fatty food at the top. Instead, by de-emphasizing the stratification, it now appears as if all these food groups are equally ideal. Does that mean that movie buttered popcorn is just as good for you as a grapefruit? There's still no reference to caloric value or any other useful measure of a food benefit, just the concept that should eat a bit of everything. Really? We've condensed how many years of public health research into the idea that variety is the spice of life?

I understand that the old food pyramid overstated the importance of bread, incorrectly vilified all fats and oils (even though some are better than others), and understated the importance of vitamins and minerals (eg, salt). However, the new approach completely threw out the baby with the bathwater. Now kids get NO education about which foods are best to focus on. The rainbow color scheme makes it look attractive, but serves no useful function.

So, in short, not much fun, not very educational (anymore), but reasonable durability. Note that these problems are not the making of the toy manufacturer, but rather the stupid scientists who missed the point completely. Change for the better is fine, but why this retrograde step?

--UPDATE--

A new food "plate" has replaced this pyramid so this "toy" is no longer up-to-date.