The USDA has just released new dietary guidelines with more emphasis on the kinds and quality of food consumed, combining nutrients, and the importance of exercise. There are sub-categories for grains and vegetables that recommend a certain amount of whole grains and dark leafy and orange vegetables. (Sorry, french fries and hamburger bun no longer meet nutritional recommendations.)
This new pyramid also seems more vegetarian and vegan friendly and there is a whole study devoted to comparing the "Base" diet (which derives about 90% of protein from animal flesh), a "Plant Based" diet (one that derives less than 50% from animal sources), a Lacto-Ovo diet (one that allows animal dairy and eggs), and a Vegan diet (which does not allow any animal products). In the study, the protein, caloric, and nutrient levels were examined and adjusted for each diet sub-type for different caloric levels. The basic conclusion is that the base pyramid can be adjusted for other diet types without significant nutrient/protein/calorie loss. I read the entire study, but to save you time, pages 15-17 have the tables for the recommended daily and weekly amounts of all food groups adjusted by diet type and calorie goals. I plan to print these pages to keep as a household reference.
Just so you know, I was inspired by a post at http://www.nomeatathlete.com/. To see Matt's analysis of the new guidelines, go here.
The previous food pyramid, developed in 1992:
The New pyramid:
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