One of my nephews sneered at broccoli until my sister started calling it a "tree" -- all of a sudden, broccoli was interesting.

Sometimes, parents have to resort to little tricks to get their picky eaters to try new foods. The food pyramid folks realize this and now, there's a special pyramid designed just for preschoolers. Not only does this new pyramid outline the proper amounts of foods kids need, it also aims to help parents with the little picky eaters in the house.

In addition to helpful tools like a growth chart, sample meal plans and kitchen activities for preschoolers, the MyPyramid for Preschoolers site gives tips for breaking the picky-eating problem. Some suggestions:

• Set a good example by eating healthfully
• Offer a variety of foods ... and keep offering them
• Start with small portions.
  

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There's more than one food pyramid out there. While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) spends gazillions to advocate their MyPyramid, The Biggest Loser reality show touts their own -- the 4-3-2-1 Food Pyramid.

Weight loss and nutrition adviser for The Biggest Loser, Dr. Michael Dansinger, reveals the skinny on the 4-3-2-1 daily countdown:

• At least four cups of fruits and vegetables
  
• Three eight-ounce servings of lean protein
  
• No more than two cups of whole grains
• One sweet treat (e.g., diet pudding)
  
  

Add regular exercise to the 4-3-2-1 formula and you're bound to shed pounds. I regularly stick to the 4-3 part, but on those bad food days, my pyramid has a big 4-3-6-3 bulge -- not good. Is your pyramid top-heavy too often?

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Teaching your child to read food labels builds a foundation for better choices as they mature and start grazing the hot lunch line, a friend's pantry or the corner store. I'm not saying kids need to shout out calories and fat before ripping open a granola bar, but label awareness can foster a healthier perspective.

Here's one example: I've been teaching my son to pay attention to 'grams of sugar per serving' on food labels for over a year now. A first grader, his reading skills are taking off and I'm seeing the payoff. Earlier this week he came home and, unsolicited, informed me his carton of white milk has 12 grams of sugar.

Since he's now an all-day schoolkid, we made a deal he brown-bags-it and grabs white milk four days a week, then splurges on hot lunch with chocolate milk the remaining day. Two days ago, after his hot lunch day (pizza, of course), I asked him how many grams of sugar were in the chocolate milk. He was quick to report it had 27 grams of sugar -- yech. He's now looking at chocolate versus white milk through a nutrition-focused filter, putting more value on white milk than he ever did before. Moving along at a first-grade pace, I think the next lesson will be reasonable calorie totals in a snack or a meal, then we'll start chatting about the benefits of fiber. Check out these nutrition education tips for preschool, K-3rd and 4-6th grade, the Nutrition Cafe for kid-friendly nutritional games and the USDA's MyPyramid games 'n tools for 6-11 year olds.

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Seniors recently got their very own food pyramid from the USDA, one that focuses specifically on the nutritional needs of the over-70 set. Focusing on foods that are low in fat, high in fiber, and rich in nutrients the eating plan also includes food suggestions that are easy for seniors to find and prepare. In addition, icons along the bottom suggest healthy ways to get in moderate activity.

Because many seniors don't have access to computers, the pyramid is also available in print form. You can read more about the new pyramid and see a graphic here, or visit My Pyramid to see your own USDA recommended eating plan.

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Yesterday we mentioned that we're not eating enough fruits and veggies -- a finding based on the USDA's MyPyramid food guide, the 2005 replacement to the long-lived Food Pyramid. Yet, it turns out there's a wee bit of controversy around it, which some health advocates claim was created to appease big U.S. agriculture industries -- top among them dairy, beef, and refined grains -- rather than provide Americans with unbiased nutritional advice.

(This was actually claimed about the original pyramid, too, though it served a purpose in post-World War II to encourage Americans to combat malnutrition by eating what there was plenty of at the time -- milk, butter, meat, corn and wheat.)

To offer another choice, Food Ranger Mike Adams suggests we turn to financially unmotivated guides like the Honest Food Guide, available for a quick and free download at www.HonestFoodGuide.org. The guide, divided into healthy (green) and disease (red) sections, makes it easy to see what food we should and shouldn't be eating. As you might expect, the healthy side is full of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, sprouts, healthy oils and nuts. I particularly like how sunlight (but not too much to cause sunburn!) and water are the top two listed healthy items.

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I have the best intentions when I purchase organic produce at my local co-op. I envision preparing gorgeous salads or just reaching for a piece of juicy, sweet fruit instead of something less healthy. But the reality is once I bring my bounty home, I race against the clock to eat it all before it goes bad. Even as I write this, I have a bowl of very over-ripe figs in my fridge that need to be tossed. The result is that I eat less fruit and veggies than I planned.

Seems I'm not alone. According to the USDA and National Cancer Institute, many Americans still are not eating enough of the good stuff that can reduce risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to the USDA's MyPyramid diet guideline, we need to eat up to 2.5 cups and fruit and up to 4 cups of vegetables a day. You can find out the right portion for you by visiting www.MyPyramid.com.

And what do we need more of? Here's a hint: Next time you're at the store, load up on spinach, oranges and lentils -- dark greens, orange foods and legumes are the least-consumed, yet so good for us, produce. Now I'm dreaming of a spinach-carrot-chickpea salad. I think I have all the ingredients in my fridge ... so I'm off to make it before the ingredients go bad!

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