Justification

The wheel of foods was a didactic resource that was very used in years 70-80 (Figure nº 1) was promoted in Spain by program EDALNU of the Ministry of Health and implied to professionals of the health and education. The changes arisen in the feeding of the Spaniards make the update necessary of the contents of the wheel.
The use of graphical elements that come from other cultural contexts, as is the case of the “pyramid of the feeding”, in spite of to have used in the last years profusely, have either covered the paper with the wheel of foods in situations where he was very useful:

• Like didactic tool for educational
• Like resource for the hotel trade personnel (especially of colectivity) that them aid to make menus balances in dining rooms for people with different vital situations (students, old, hospitalized, etc.)
• Like enhancing element of the understanding of the basic concepts of the healthful diet, including the paper of the different food groups and the plastic, power elements and catalytic presents in the same

The concept of the wheel especially has like added advantage the one that still is a very well-known tool, in educative means (thousands of unit of posters, manuals, books were published at the time,…). The wheel of foods is, in addition, an essential didactic resource in certain situations:

• When it is necessary to make include/understand the importance of the set of the diet for a healthful feeding
• When we want to teach `visually' that there are different types from foods according to his functions in our organism
• When we needed a simple resource to teach to make valid healthy menus for the different ages and circumstances

Methodology

A “new wheel of the foods” has been developed whose differences in front of the traditional wheel are:

1. The food Groups.

They were traditionally seven, becoming this version in six Groups:

Power I (predominant carbohydrate composition: products derived from cereals, potatoes, sugar)
II Power (predominant lipid composition: butter, oils and fats generally)
III Plastics (predominant protein composition: products of milky origin)
IV Plastics (predominant protein composition: meat, eggs and fish, vegetables and fruits droughts)
V Regulating (vegetables and vegetables)
I SAW Regulators (fruits)

It includes, in addition, explicit mention to the physical exercise and the necessity to ingest water in sufficient amounts.

2. Its didactic use

It is tried that the people interested in improving their feeding or whom are responsible for the elaboration of menus, they can resort to the “new wheel” to accede to a healthful diet.

3. Its graphic character

It indicates the relative importance in our diet of foods pertaining to the different Groups by means of the different size from the corresponding sectors. Also, it indicates the foods that must be consumed more sometimes sporadic representing them with a reduced size with respect to those of frequent consumption.

Authors

Martinez Alvarez JR (1), Arpe Muñoz C (1), Churches Pink C (2), Pinto Fontanillo JA (3), Villarino Marin To (4), I castrate Unloads MJ (5), Cao Torija MJ (5), Urrialde de Andres R (1), Go'mez Candle C (6), Lopez Nomdedeu C (7)

(1) dietetic Spanish Society of and sciences of the feeding. Madrid
(2) University Alfonso X the Wise person. Madrid
(3) Council of Health. Community of Madrid
(4) University of Alcala of Madrid
(5) University of Valladolid
(6) Unit of dietetic. University hospital La Paz. Madrid
(7) national School of Health. Madrid