But how much of each food group do you need? The old dietary guidelines were based on a standard reference of 2,000 calories per day. However, there are 12 versions of the 2005 pyramid, ranging from 1,000 calories per day (recommended for sedentary toddlers) to 3,200 calories per day (recommended for active teenage boys). Most of us fall in the range of 1,200 to 2,000 calories per day.

The new guidelines also make more specific recommendations about what types of vegetables to choose over the course of a week, from dark green and orange vegetables to legumes, starchy vegetables and others such as asparagus, beets and cabbage.

Jennifer May, a registered dietitian with DietWatch, sees pros and cons to the new pyramid. While it offers links to great online resources and emphasizes the importance of regular exercise, not everyone has access to the Internet, and downloading of information can be slow due to many visitors to the new site.

The recommendations are not as specific for some individuals, such as children and athletes, as for others. May says the new pyramid has an improved balance of food groups and colourful representation, but individuals have to do further research into what the triangles mean, what foods are recommended and in what amounts.

The new pyramid also no longer provides pictures of food examples with each group. It does provide more specific guidelines regarding healthy fat options and whole grains.