The Honest Food Guide: Free from Industry Influence

Since the food guide pyramid isn't a reliable source of healthy nutritional guidelines, here's a pointer to a source that might be more helpful—and that you can download for free.

The man who created the Honest Food Guide describes it as free from the influence of food industries and designed to benefit people's health rather than big business interests.

It doesn't need much explanation—it's all pretty clear once you click through. You'll see a gradient of foods that are healthy, like whole grains, nuts, and fruits, and of foods that are not, like soda, red meat, and fried frozen vegetables (even if some are classified officially as fresh vegetables).

And unlike the USDA's food guide pyramid, the Honest Food Guide lists and explains the specific contents that make these foods healthy or not, like fiber and phytonutrients in veggies, and chemical sweeteners in soda.

For some quick and reliable nutritional guidance, check it out.