Orange for Grain

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have jointly released a new Food Guide Pyramid in April 2005. Unlike the old pyramid, the new version is widely considered among the best issued.

To older people, like parents, the old Food Guide Pyramid still seems kind of new. Since the old pyramid was around for 13 years - as long as many kids have been alive - kids and parents will have to get adjusted to it. For instance, grains are no longer on the bottom. Instead, grains are represented by the orange stripe on the new pyramid.

The agency later released a special version for kids. Notice the girl climbing the staircase up the side of the pyramid? That's a way of showing kids how important it is to exercise and be active every day.

The Food Guide Pyramid is one way for people to understand how to eat healthy. A rainbow of colored, vertical stripes represents the 5 food groups plus fats & oils. Here's what the colors stand for:

• orange - grains
• green - vegetables
• red - fruits
• yellow - fats & oils
• blue - milk & dairy products
• purple - meat, beans, fish & nuts

A Warm Welcome

This is the third week of KidsZone @ Bandar Utama Damansara.

The response has been encouraging since the first day of opening. Most of the children who came around has settled in very quickly.

Last Saturday, a father brought his 7 year-old son over to KidsZone for the first time. They stood outside the entrance of KidsZone for over 20 minutes, obviously having a long father-and-son negotiation session.

When he finally decided that it was "safe" enough to venture inside, it didn't take him too long to feel really "at home".

One hour later. Another father-and-son discussion took place. But this time, inside KidsZone. And this time, his father was trying to convince the kid to go home.

This is KidsZone. You are welcomed.