A year ago this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled MyPyramid, its replacement for the outdated food pyramid. But although it redecorated and renamed the old pyramid, the USDA didn't carry out the necessary changes needed to offer clear information on strategies for healthful eating, reports the April issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

MyPyramid fails to convey key messages from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the document that the food pyramid is supposed to represent, and it makes some recommendations that aren’t the best nutrition advice, says the Harvard Heart Letter. For example, the guidelines recommend cutting back on animal fats, avoiding harmful trans fats, and limiting intake of salt and added sugars. MyPyramid only urges you to “choose wisely” when it comes to fat and carbohydrates.

MyPyramid’s advice on protein also poses problems. Lumping together red meat, poultry, fish, and beans as equally healthful protein sources sidesteps the evidence that eating less red meat and more of the other protein sources offers numerous health benefits.

The good news? MyPyramid does stress physical activity. It also uses common measurements like cups and ounces. And it tries to get away from one-size-fits-all recommendations.

When all is said and done, MyPyramid is not an unbiased source of information. It comes solely from the USDA, the government agency that promotes American agriculture. For better advice, the Harvard Heart Letter recommends the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by Harvard’s Dr. Walter Willett and described in his book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.