Sweden’s First Food Pyramid (1974)

The very first food pyramid didn't originate in the United States, it was created in Sweden in 1974.

It emerged during a time of high food prices, when a cooperative grocery chain's

test kitchen chief, Anna-Britt Agnsäter, developed a simple triangular graphic to show "basic foods"

(like bread, cereals, potatoes, milk, and cheese) at the

wide base for daily essentials, with fruits/vegetables in the middle, and meat/fish/eggs

at the narrow top as supplements. The idea quickly spread globally, and the USDA adapted

its own version in 1992.