So I was at a loss when the USDA turned the Pyramid on its ear. Or actually upside down, redistributing everything from that carefully concocted, comfortingly familiar chart of yesteryear into a strewn-out pile of groceries. The new Pyramid looks like an overturned shopping cart lying in a grocery store aisle.

The original Pyramid, the one young families “back then” grew up on, put sweets and fats at the narrow pointy top, meats and dairy side by side next, then vegetables and fruits side by side third, and a gargantuan presence of breads, cereals, rice and all carbohydrate-heavy foods across the long, wide bottom. Meats claimed 2 servings a day; breads claimed up to 11 servings according to our refrigerator chart.

I’ve wondered if the old Pyramid directed us, or did we direct it. Back then, grains were integral to families’ meals because most people could afford bread, rice was an easy filler, and many meals literally rested on a pile of pasta. Breads and grains were cheap and filling, and even large families like the one I grew up in could afford lots of servings to fill lots of bellies.

My family grew our own fruits and vegetables, so providing the third layer for ourselves was doable. As long as we were willing to work for it, fresh produce in the summer and bottled food in the winter sustained us.

That smaller, second layer was the challenge. How much meat and dairy we ate depended on the family income, Dad’s hunting and fishing success, and Mom’s unmatched ability to stretch protein further than anyone I knew. (She could make a tuna casserole for nine people with one 7-ounce can of tuna). Things eased up a bit in that section once we started raising an annual steer — so long as we didn’t get too attached to him. And dairy was, well, dairy. We drank milk, ate cheese, and slathered butter on our multiple rolls.

The way I was fed was the way I fed my kids. The Food Pyramid made sense because it was what we already had–and ate. So did we eat that way because it fit the way we lived — or did it fit the way we lived because we ate that way?

Now we face a different kind of Pyramid, not just because it’s loosely organized but also because it elevates “protein, dairy and healthy fats” alongside “vegetables and fruits.” Lots of questions pop up, starting with “There’s a healthy fat?” The USDA’s explanation for its upended Pyramid answers that question (healthy fats come from meats, nuts, seeds and avocados) plus many others. The tagline of today’s Pyramid is “Eat Real Food” meaning the natural stuff we see in both Pyramids — protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The current Pyramid also comes with a firm warning to stop eating highly processed foods.

The accompanying health facts provide the sobering reason. Nearly 90% of this country’s healthcare spending treats chronic diseases, much of it linked to diet. Here’s the kicker: More than 70% of American adults are overweight(!), and nearly 1 in 3 adolescents are prediabetic.

Statistics like that explain why the grocery cart is overturned–to get our attention. Hopefully it inspires us to redirect not just what we eat, but how we eat it, i.e. basic, home-cooked meals from scratch instead of fast foods, quick-grab snacks, and ready-made meals. It seems we need a collective commitment to overhaul our present eating practices, eat “real” foods instead, and reject the foods that made us this way.

Because you can bet none of us will ever see an official Food Pyramid chart promoting a greasy burger, a bag of chips, or a frozen dinner.