Kids Talk About: The Food Guide Pyramid

Before the new Food Guide Pyramid was released in April 2005, we asked kids for their ideas. Should it be a pyramid or another shape? What's the most important message about eating nutritious food and being healthy? We heard from more than 500 of you! Thanks for the really creative ideas - from a Food Guide Solar System to a Food Guide Dog.

We thought the Food Guide Flower was a really great idea, so we had one of our artists draw what it might look like. Hannah, 14, gave us that suggestion. She said she picked a flower "because it branches out in many different ways."

To read more ideas from kids, see below:

Cristina, 11, chose an open book "because I like to read and I think it would look cool."

Candy, 13, chose a circle "because you can cut it like a pizza."

Danielle, 10, chose a soccer cone used at soccer practice. Why? "Because soccer is one way to keep your body healthy and it's small at the top for how much junk food you should eat."

Stephanie, 12, wanted to stick with the pyramid. "I will miss the old pyramid because since I've been born, it has been around."

Brandi, 9, chose a sun - "the beams of health beaming down on us, you know."

J.P., 13, chose a flag because it would be easy to read and said: "I want to be president."

Samantha, 10, suggested a frog "because it's a cool animal to represent the food groups."

Kimberly, 13, would offer an array of shapes - stars, squares, triangles, oxtagons, and all different things like that. "I would choose these because some kids don't like triangles. Like girls for instance. Most girls like stars and diamonds." She won't miss the old food guide pyramid. "I am one of those people who hate triangles. I like stars."

Lauren, 10, chose a pizza shape because "95% of the world" likes it.

Julie, 12, chose a mouth shape because "everything you eat goes in your mouth."

Harry, 12, chose a circle and and upside-down triangle. He thinks those shapes represent the two ways a person's body can look - overweight or trim.

Ali, 11, chose a circle. She says healthy food isn't all bad. "Some foods are really yummy."

Tia, 15, likes a triangle shape because it has 3 sides for 3 messages: Stay fit. Stay healthy. Stay lean.

Brandon, 12, chose an apple "because apples are healthy and good for you."

Moroku, 16, chose a diamond because "that's my favorite shape." Moroku says: "Don't eat so much junk food."

Kirsty, 13, chose an isosceles triangle because "it's skinnier and I think that people should be able to eat what they want in moderation."

Morgan, 13, chose the existing pyramid and adds: "Duh."

Raven, 13, chose a circle, which she would call "a food wheel." She says: "The bread group is not the most important food group. If you eat a salad with dinner, it can taste good and it will be healthier. Eat less processed, sugary foods, and have crisp, juicy fruit. I will not miss the Food Guide Pyramid. It is misleading."

Josephine, 11, chose a stomach shape "because it would show how much food should be in your stomach. Like a really small area would be the candy, fats, etc., and a very large part would be bread, noodles, etc."

Jake, 7, chose a 6-pointed star. "I am Jewish."

Skye, 11, chose a lava lamp! "All the lava lamp bubbles that are at the bottom will show which is more healthier, and the ones near the top are what you should stay away from." She won't miss the old pyramid, but thinks her parents might. "It would be a memory of their generation."

Angelica, 11, chose a tree. "Its branches can be the different food groups. The high branches would be the healthiest and the lower branches would be the less healthy." She thinks people will understand the Food Guide Tree better than the pyramid, which she found confusing.

Carl, 10, chose a grocery bag "because you have to shop in order to buy food."

Jordan, 11, chose a pyramid shape, but wants to put it upside down this time. "It shows the best (foods) for you on the top, not the bottom. All the stuff that isn't good for you can go down there." Jordan will miss old Food Guide Pyramid. "It is pretty hard to change something that you've known all your life and expect to learn it easily...What will they be changing next? The alphabet?"

Katherine, 11, chose a spiral "because I could put the most healthy foods at the beginning and the most unhealthy foods at the end."

Tyler, 12, chose a circle "because a circle is the shape of your face."

Alice, 11, chose a tree or shrub. She thinks an evergreen tree would be good because different food groups could be on different branches. Her message to kids: "Dessert can even be healthy, like yogurt or apples with peanut butter. Use your imagination!"

Abby, 12, chose a hand "because there are lots of fingers and lengths."

Jessie, 12, chose a frog or monkey "because they're my favorite animals and they are super cute!"

Kayla, 13, chose a cone and would put fats, sugars, and oils at the top. She won't miss the old pyramid. "Why should I? What did it ever do for me?"

Nikki, 13, says any shape is fine "as long as it's clear and useful so anybody can understand it."

Kara, 11, chose a soda bottle. Her message to kids: "You are what you eat."

Emily, almost 13, chose a pentagon. She says: "I would teach people how to eat healthier and lose weight by cooking good, healthy food."

April, 16, chose a circle "because it's round, and every person should develop a well-rounded diet complete with vitamins, minerals, and everything needed to be healthy."

Jen, 12, chose a rainbow because it's used in her country - Canada. She says: "It shows clearly whether you should eat more or less food from a certain food group. It is also noticeable and colourful (or colorful, depending where you're from.)"

Jude, 9, chose a square because it's big. He says: If you don't eat healthy, you'll mess your body up.

Jillian, 13, wanted to stick with the pyramid because she thinks the architecture sends a message. "If you miss a piece, it will collapse."

Shannon, 12, chose a circle "because it would show how a day makes a full, complete circle." She won't miss the old pyramid "because it didn't make a lot of sense to kids and most adults and that's why they don't follow it!"

Celeste, 11, chose the sun "because the sun is the source for all our food." She says: "If they can eat healthy, they can live a longer and better life!"

Amelia, 10, chose a lunch box "because it might encourage children my age to have healthier food in their lunch box. She says: A little bit of what you fancy does you good! In other words, too much of anything can harm you."

Thomas, 10, chose a cookie "because that is my favorite food."

Princess, 13, chose a "love heart" because people like them.

Jason, 10, chose a circle "because people are round."

Empee, 13, chose a circle because it could be split up evenly. Empee says: "The most important thing about staying healthy is never to starve yourself, even if you are feeling overweight."

Lana, 12, chose a slice of bread "because it's the group you need to get the most from each day." Will she miss the old one? "No because i didn't pay any attention to it any way."

Ahmad, 10, chose a square and says "do not eat oily food such as French fries, fried chicken, and fried fish."

Achanti, 10, wanted to stick with the pyramid. She says: "Remember that sweets are OK, but healthy foods are better."

Kari, 11, chose the pyramid "because you can put the stuff you really need to eat at the bottom."

Chloe, 13, chose a pentagon, a 5-sided shape. She would fill the top with fats and use the rest for breads, veggies, meats, fruits, and dairy. Her healthy eating advice: "You need to know that too little of something is not healthy. But neither is too much. You should try to find a middle ground somewhere in there."

Billy, 11, chose the existing food guide pyramid "because it's easy." He says to check out the nutrition labels on the foods you eat.

Katie, 14, chose the heart "because you have to love food to eat it."

Kerri, 13, chose the human body. She lives in South Africa, so she's not sure if she'll miss the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid or not!

Amber, 14 chose a circle "because a circle looks more professional than a triangle."

Randy, 12, chose a heart and thinks "you should not eat too much of anything."

Lell, 12, chose a diamond "because it's something new." Lell's advice on healthy eating: "Pretend junk food doesn't exist, in the food pyramid or in life, and just concentrate on healthy foods."

Emily, 13, would choose a fruit or vegetable shape that would be both healthy and easy to draw, for homework purposes. "I would like an apple."

Diana, 11, chose a heart "because it represents that your heart is the most important thing. "Your heart is the key to life."

Eboney, 10, chose a rectangle because it won't be too cramped.

Lily, 10, chose an ice cream cone "because it could have sugars and fats at the bottom and carbohydrates at the top, and it is an interesting and new shape to use."

Kellie, 5, chose a cube "because you can roll it and it will have a different food group on each side."

Loryn, 9, chose a plate "because we eat on it."

Erica, 4, chose the human body "because it's the body that needs food."

Renee, 9, chose a leaf. "All the spines would lead to a special food group."

Ulmar, 15, chose a soccer ball. "The black spots could mean something."

Emily, 12, chose a box of cereal. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Dajuan, 14, chose a cube because it has 4 sides.

Ashleigh, almost 9, chose a diamond. She says :"Have a little bit from every food group."

Sarah, 12, thought a Food Guide Quilt would be good.

Lilyana, 9, chose fruit "because I love fruit."

Charleigh, 10, chose a rectangle because it isn't fat or thin.

Arianna, 12, chose a square. She says: "Not everything in this world is good for you. You have to be careful what goes in your mouth."

Somi, 15, chose a crystal because it's so beautiful.

Omar, 7, chose a cylinder shape "because if you look like a cylinder you wouldn't be fat!"

Sandy, almost 8, chose an apple because they're good for you.

Michelle, 10, chose the pyramid. She says: "If you eat healthy, you will be alive for a long period of time."

Scotty, 10, chose the pyramid because it's easiest.

Sara, 9, chose the human body "because that's what it goes through after you eat the food." She says: If you want to stay healthy, you have got to eat good foods, not just all junk food."

Roxy, 13, chose a pyramid because she understands it.

Shanice, 12, thinks it should be the shape of a curvy woman "because it's a nice figure."

Heba, 11, chose a shopping cart "because it will show you what to buy."

Ashley, 10, chose a rainbow "because it's big and it gets smaller and smaller."

Nysha, 9, thinks vegetables would be a good shape because she's a vegetarian.

Marissa, 13, thinks the pyramid should be a skinny shape, because she's thin.

Hayley, 10, chose a human body shape. She wants kids to remember to get plenty of vitamin C in their diets.

Kelsey, 9, chose a heart "because if you're not eating right, your heart gets affected."

Amanda, 11, chose a pyramid "because you can see very well how much food to take in."

Lisa, 11, chose food shapes - glass of milk, hunk of cheese, hamburger etc. "It's easy to remember."

Shakara, 14, would choose a PlayStation 2 shape. It's big enough and food groups could go in the different sections. She says kids should know this about healthy eating: You dont want to be underweight or overweight. You need to be average."

James, 12, chose an octagon shape. His advice for kids: "Don't eat only one kind of food."

Ashley, 12, chose some kind of 3-D shape, because she thinks it would interest kids. She says she's eager for a new pyramid. "Getting a brand-new Food Guide Pyramid will guarantee that it will get some more attention that it deserves and your body deserves!"

Alana, 11, chose a star "because most girls and boys like them."

Ashley, 12, would use a dinner plate. "You could show what to eat at each meal."

Evelina, 9, chose a circle "because I think it is a fun and easy shape." She recommends looking at all the ingredients, not just the fat content, when deciding which foods to eat.

Darien, 12, chose fruit shapes because "if you were to eat a lot of fruits, you get a habit of eating right and healthy. You would be amazed about how fit and strong you'd be."

Audelia, 10, likes the pyramid because she can remember it.

Brianna, 9, chose a heart "because if you look at it, it makes me feel I need to eat healthy for my heart." She says she'll miss the old Food Guide Pyramid "because my favorite spot was the biggest - the grains."

Kaitlyn, 12, chose a star "because I like to look at stars."

Montel, 5, chose a heart shape because "the heart keeps you alive." Montel also says you need to eat 3 meals a day. "And don't forget the healthy snacks."

Golnar, 11, chose a star shape, which she thinks is more interesting than a pyramid.

Tia, 11, chose a human body "because you eat with your body and exercise with it, too." She offered this advice: "Don't eat if you're bored or not hungry."

Kendra, 9, chose a heart "because you have to think about your heart when you eat."

Dana, 13, likes the pyramid as is because "it shows good proportions of the amounts of food and types of food you should eat." She will miss the old pyramid because the new one will probably discourage too much white bread and pasta. "That stuff is good!"

Erik, 12, chose to stick with the pyramid. About eating, he says: "Use moderation."

Nakita, 9, stuck with the pyramid shape "because that is the shape of the Food Guide Pyramid."

Britanny, 11, wanted to keep the pyramid shape. She'll miss the old pyramid because it had a touch of "all the cool foods that we eat every day."

Jazz, 10, chose a hexagon for the six food groups included in the old pyramid. Jazz says: "You want to eat many kinds of food - not just the sweets!"

Amie, 8, chose a circle because it's clear and uncomplicated. "Sometimes it's good to get out with the old and in with the new!"

Francesca, 11, likes a cube shape. "It has a lot of room. It can fit all the food groups. It just popped into my head!" She says kids should eat healthy so they'll "grow up big and strong."

Nate, 8, chose a circle shape, with spokes like a bicycle wheel. He picked a circle "because it reminds people about activity and it's an easy shape to fit things in." He put grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy foods in the wheel sections. At the center, in a small circle, he put sugars, fats, and oils. "You should try to eat the healthy stuff first and sometimes after meals, or for a snack, you can have some of the sugars and the fats."

Jason, 7, thought a square is the right shape "because it's easy to divide foods into." His message on healthy eating is: "Vegetables and grains are the most healthy things to eat.

Luke, 11, illustrated healthy eating through a solar system, with the sun and planets representing different food groups. He used the sun for grain foods, like bread and cereal. Then came the fruit planet, the vegetable planet, the milk and dairy planet, and the meat planet. He placed the fats, oils, and sweets planet farthest from the sun. A solar system is a better shape than a pyramid because it's more modern-looking and futuristic, Luke said. His main nutrition message: "Eat a variety of foods, but don't eat too much."

Martha, 10, thought a pillow is the right shape. Then, there could be four squares and a button, she says. "The fats and oils would be the button."

Amber, 8, likes the pyramid shape as it is. She says the most important thing about eating healthy is eating the right amount.

Eliza, 11, chose a bread shape "because you need more servings of grain than any other food group."

Rosa, 10, chose a parallelogram.

Anna, 18, likes a diamond shape because it would be roomier. "You would have a a lot more room to lay it all out and people would understand it better."

Hope, 10, wasn't sure which shape but she said it should be "very skinny because I'm skinny."

McKinzie, 11, thought the human body would be the best shape. "The human body reminds us of the fact that you are what you eat," she says. Here's how she would set it up: The heart would be vegetables because they're heart-healthy foods. The brain would be fruits. The legs would be grains. Bones would be dairy products, which "keep your bones in tip top shape." The arms would be meat to "keep your muscles strong." And the tongue will stand for sweets, fats, and oils, which are "a good thing in small amounts."

Sarah, 10, chose a circle shape because it could be a pie chart. She won't miss the old Food Guide Pyramid "because mine is new and improved."

Makda, 12, chose a heart. She says: "Don't eat too much of any thing even if you think it's good for you!"

Mamoset, 12, chose a circle graph "because you can see what percentage of the food you need."

Taylor, 10, chose a circle because you can make it into a pie chart. "It is time for a new food pyramid," Taylor says. The most important thing to remember about healthy eating is that it can prevent diseases, she says.

Marissa, 12, thought Scooby Doo would be a good shape to explain healthy eating. "He is my favorite character on TV and I know a lot of people would pay more attention to the good food groups."

Lanore, 10, likes a heart shape "cause that's why your heart pumps - cause you eat the right food."

Anupriya, 11, likes a diamond shape. She'd put the fats and carbohydrates in the narrow top part, to show that we should eat less of them. She thinks people should eat more protein.

Olivia, 12, chose a star "because it is interesting and will be a good way to show kids and people how to be healthy."

Caitlin, 12, chose an octagon "because I think it might look interesting and attract people's eyes."

B.C. thought a circle would work, if it showed how you balance the foods you need to eat each day. "Everyone needs to balance their food and sweets, even if M&Ms are highly tempting. Ha ha."

Jeanette, 7, chose a circle because it's "well rounded."

Dacoda, 8, wants to keep the pyramid. "It has been that way for years."

Diana, 11, chose a human body shape. "It will remind them that certain parts of your body need to grow and develop properly."

Saankhya, 12, chose an apple "because it's a fruit, which is healthy. It will look pretty."

Kelsey, 12, would continue using a pyramid shape, but she knows the current one needs work. "People clearly don't understand how much they should be eating daily from each food group. What people need to know about healthy eating is "that they shouldn't overeat just because their brain says they are hungry."

Chanel, 12, wanted to stick with the pyramid. "If we change the shape, people will get confused, and what will we call it, the food circle?"

Jack, 11, chose the circle because it can be split up easily.

Stephanie, 9 3/4, chose a circle because you can make percentages out of it.

Belle, 10, chose a hexagon - a six-sided shape. "There are six angles. Each food would get its own angle."

Tara, 11, would keep the pyramid shape. She says it's important to eat a variety of foods to avoid weight problems.

Joann, 11, wants to stick with the pyramid because "that's what I have always seen."

Alex, 10, chose a pie graph because she learned how to draw them in school.

Brenna, 8, chose a square. She'd divide it into 4 sections for these 4 points: "making sure you eat healthy, knowing you have to eat healthy, knowing how eating healthy can help you, and knowing what healthy foods to eat."

Emily, 14, chose a heart "because you need food to live."

Destinee, 13, chose a square "because people always say don't step out of the box." She thinks kids should eat healthy because it will "keep you alive and well for many years."

Janay, 9, chose a rectangle and would make it into a chart that would be easy to follow.

Alexandra, 9, thought the pyramid should be made over into a dog. "I really like dogs and most people also like dogs." The old pyramid is boring, she says. Here's Alexandra's top reason for eating healthy: "Eating healthy will let you live longer if you exersise too!"

Whitney doesn't like any sort of Food Guide Pyramid. "Healthy foods taste bad. The top triangle tastes good."

Kelsey, 12, chose a slice of bread "because it is one of the healthiest foods you can eat."

Ashley, 11, chose the heart "because you have to keep your heart healthy."

Corinne, 11, chose the heart "because the heart is a part of your body and you have to keep it healthy."

Maddie, 10 chose fruit "because I adore fruit." She says if you eat healthy, you'll feel better.

Kaitlynn, 11, likes a circle because it's a fun shape. She thinks kids should eat healthy to keep their teeth strong.

Jessi, 11, chose a rectangle and would put healthy food first, junk food last. She says: "If you don't eat healthy you have more chance of heart-related problems."

Amanda, 16, chose a human body and says she won't miss the old pyramid. "If you follow everything it says, you can actually get fat."

Lesley, 12, chose a circle. She says: "If you don't eat healthy, you'll get heart disease or fat."

Holly, 12, chose a circle and would make a pie chart of the foods you need.

Natasha, 9, said she''ll miss the old Food Guide Pyramid. "I'll cry when it's gone." But she has a great message for kids: "Eat healthy to live energized."

Kassi, 10, likes a rectangle shape because it's roomer than a pyramid. She says kids should eat healthy because "it keeps you strong so you don't always have to be lazy."

Ashley, 11, likes the pyramid shape as it is. She'll miss it when it's gone.

Savanna, 10, chose a circle "because it never ends and the food chain should go in a circle." She also wants kids to know: "To stay healthy, you don't have to look like a toothpick."

Ina, 12, chose a square because it would be easier to organize than the pyramid. She says: Eating healthy will keep you in shape and you will live longer."

Bata, 9, chose a heart because she likes that shape.

Kayla, 14, chose a circle. She says to eat healthy so you stay strong.

Jade, 12, chose a square and says kids should "go easy on the sweets!"

Michael, 11, chose to stick with the pyramid and will miss the old one.

Christina, 14, chose a star shape because each point could represent one of the food groups.

Hohina, 9, chose a circle because it looks like a pizza.

Duane, 11, chose the existing pyramid because it's easy to understand.

Bean, 13, chose a star "because it jumps out at me."

Kendall, 9, would keep the pyramid shape, but would redistribute the space currently given to grains.

Mike, 11, chose a plate. He would split it into five sections. He won't miss the pyramid. It's not right for the 21st Century, he said. "New is good."

Olivia, 7, chose a circle "because a circle goes around and around." She says: "Do not eat too much of one food."

Sara, 11, likes a diamond because it's a cool and interesting shape.

Sarah, 10, chose a heart. "It helps your heart when you eat healthy."

Danny, 14, chose a human body because "if you put a human shape you know that eating this kind of food will be good for your body."

Nancy, 10, said she likes the pyramid shape and will miss the old one very much. What kids need to know about healthy eating is that "the food must be clean."

Carly, 8, chose "the big triangle because I like it the way this shape is."

Florence, 10, chose a star because "people think they're cool."

Shannon, 11, thought an octagon would work best. "It has 8 sides to put the pictures of food in."

Stacie, 11, likes a circle shape. She won't miss the old Food Guide Pyramid "because it got really boring all through 5th grade if you know what I mean."

Rachel, 9, chose a diamond shape "because you could put the things that you should eat once in a while on the bottom or top, and put the things that you should at least once or twice a day in the middle of the diamond."

Natalie, 8, likes the pyramid shape because the "bad is at the top and good is at the bottom." To eat healthy, she recommends reading the nutritional infomation on the label.

Louis, 9, chose a circle "because circles are used with fractions."

Richelle, 10, thought a heart shape would work best. "I think a heart shape will remind us to eat healthy foods. The heart is important for humans."

Sharmaine, 10, thought the circle would be the best shape to use. Will she miss the Food Guide Pyramid? She wrote "no" 47 times!

Nick, 6, picked a big square and drew lines to create 10 smaller squares inside it. He chose a square because it gave him a lot of room to show different foods, like bread, oranges, watermelon, carrots, broccoli, cheese, rice, and chocolate. Nick says the most important thing kids need to know about healthy eating is to "chew up your food so you don't choke."

Syndi, 9 1/2, chose an oval "because it's shaped like an egg."

Laura, 9, likes a circle "because circles are quite big so you can fit a lot of food on it." She will miss the Food Guide Pyramid "a little bit."

Marie, 8, would use a square and says kids shouldn't eat too much junk food.

Jessica, 11, likes the pyramid shape and will miss the old Food Guide Pyramid. "It shows what you need a little of (fats, oils, and sweets on the top) and what you need a lot of (grains on the bottom)." Candy would be at the top, so she has this suggestion: "Don't eat too much candy, but a little bit once in a while is OK."

Diana, 11, thought a head or a brain would work. She chose this shape because your brain is important when making decisions about what to eat. "There's a little voice in your brain that lets you have a choice."

Zoe, 11, thought a cube shape would work best "because there are six food groups and six sides on a cube." Her most important message about eating healthy is not to eat too much fast food. "You could get a heart attack."

Colleen, 10, chose a square because it is has more room inside than a pyramid does. "Squares rock the universe!"

Jessica, 7, stuck with the pyramid shape. She says: "Eat less of the stuff on the top of the pyramid and eat lots more stuff at the bottom of the pyramid."

Nicole, 13, chose a circle because she thought it would be fun.

Ashley, 11, chose an octagon because it's her favorite shape.

Chelsea, 12, chose a heart because "it should make people think about avoiding food that is bad for their heart."

Mallory, 12, wants to keep the existing pyramid "because everyone likes the pyramid."

Tiffany, 11, chose a circle and says she won't miss the pyramid "because triangles aren't in."

Mattea, 9, thought we should keep the pyramid shape.

Ashley, 10, chose a circle shape. She says people should eat healthy because it will give them lots of energy.

Monet, 15, chose a circle "because I don't like any other shapes."

Holly, 9, chose a rectangle and would place the food groups from top to bottom. She says: "Eat good foods and stay fit."

Tori, 9, chose a circle "because you can divide it up into different groups."

Mary, 7, chose a circle because "I love circles."

Rebecca, 10, chose a circle "because most fruits are round."

David, 5, chose a diamond "because I like diamonds." David says: "Broccoli is healthy."

Ashanti, 11, chose a heart "because it's really pretty."

Taylor, 12, chose a circle "because you can divide it equally."

Brittany, 14, chose a square "because if you have a square you can separate what you need to eat and what you don't."

Robert, 12, chose a box shape. Robert says not to eat too many sweets.

Kate, 12, chose a cool, cube shape.

Sam, 12, thought we should stick with the pyramid. "The shape has been a pyramid for 13 years and I do not think we should change that. I mean it is the Food Guide PYRAMID."

Kelsie, 10, chose a triangle because it's easy to fit foods into.

Kanmani, 12, chose a diamond shape. "Most people adore diamonds."

Torri, 11, likes the pyramid shape. She says kids should eat healthy foods and get the right amount of exercise.

Angong, 18, chose a spoon and knife because "it reminds one of food and its importance."

Amanda, 11, chose an upsidedown pyramid. She's put fats, oils, and sweets at the bottom and grains at the top. She's ready for a new shape. "Seeing something different might be fun. I never really enjoyed the plain triangle shape."

Stormy, 8, chose a cube because you can fit a lot of stuff in it. Stormy says: "Never eat a lot of junk food."

Razz, 10, chose a square "because then you would have a square meal." Razz says: "Eat a variety of foods, but not too much junk."

Ray, 12, chose a car "because I like cars."

Lisette, 9, chose a rainbow and would put different foods in each color section.

Krystina, 11, chose a hexagon (a six-sided shape). She says: Eat healthy and you'll live longer and be in good shape.

Jessica, 11, wants to stick with the food pyramid. She says: Have a balanced diet.

Diana, 11, chose a tree "because all of its branches can have different types of food groups on them." She says: "Stay fit and chew well!"

Chelsea, 12, chose a big square shape. She'd use smaller squares for food groups you don't need as much of. Chelsea says: We all need to learn more about healthy eating and help this country more aware of not 'abusing' fats, oils, and sweets."

Aaron, 4, chose a star.

KaRa, 11, chose a monkey "because I love monkeys."

Hunter, 8, chose a block of cheese shape.

Mikaela, 8, chose a square because it's bigger.

Lindsey, 7, chose the shape of a square, like a computer screen.

Sezzy, 11, chose a circle. Sezzy says to watch out for too much fat in foods.

Adam, 8, chose a body "because that is where all the food goes."

Coleman, 7, chose a capital "F" for food.

Hadyn, 7, chose a heart because it's pretty and big.

Lyric, 8, chose a square and said the veggies could go on the bottom.

Ashlee, 8, chose a small body shape.

Brittany, 8, chose a heart "because I love hearts and they're pretty, too."

Emily, 7, chose a square because it's her favorite shape.

Michael, 10, chose a body shape. Michael says: Eat vegetables.

Marcia, 8, chose a heart shape. She says: Eat healthy because it's good for your heart.

Lauren, 9, chose a piece of fruit "because a piece of fruit resembles healthiness."

Lane, 8, chose a rectangle. Lane says: Eat healthy because it keeps your body healthy.

Chandler, 7, chose a square because it's his favorite shape. He says: "Always eat healthy."

Luke, 7, chose a human body "because what you eat shows on your body."

Kalie, 5, chose a cheese shape.

Justin, 13, chose a pyramid shape "because it's easy to use and learn from."

Jessica, 14, chose a flower because it's interesting.

Grace, 12, chose a basketball because the food groups could fit inside and the ball could encourage exercise. She says she's ready for a new food guide. "A new, funky one would be exciting!"