--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having the USDA design your food pyramid…" description: "\"Having the USDA design your food pyramid is like having Al Capone do your taxes.\" — Caldwell Esselstyn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/caldwell-esselstyn-47208_als_having-the-usda-design-your-food-pyramid_2309409.png" --- # Having the USDA design your food pyramid is like having Al… ![“Having the USDA design your food pyramid is like having Al Capone do your taxes.” quote by Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/caldwell-esselstyn-47208_als_having-the-usda-design-your-food-pyramid_2309409.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/caldwell-esselstyn-47208_als_having-the-usda-design-your-food-pyramid_2309409.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/caldwell-esselstyn-47208_als_having-the-usda-design-your-food-pyramid_2309409.png) > “Having the USDA design your food pyramid is like having Al Capone do your taxes.” [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comparing the USDA’s food guidelines to a criminal’s tax work highlights perceived corruption and lack of trust in governmental nutrition advice. **In simple terms:** USDA guidelines seem unreliable, like a criminal handling taxes. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek evidence‑based nutrition. Themes nutrition trust government corruption health Mood skeptical provocative Type critical analytical When to use this quote - diet planning - policy advocacy - personal health decisions - educational workshops Key Concepts public policy food industry consumer skepticism Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust official nutrition guidelines? - What evidence would change your view? A Different Perspective The analogy may be seen as hyperbolic, reducing nuanced policy discussion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capone/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Pyramids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pyramids/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Usda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usda/) [Vegetarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegetarian/) ## Related quotes > [“Those guidelines, according to Dr. Light, did not survive their trip to the office of the Head of the Department of Agriculture. In a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-guidelines-according-to-dr-light-did-not-survive-their-trip-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Dr. Luise Light is a nutrition expert and led the team at the Department of Agriculture that made the original recommendations for the food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dr-luise-light-is-a-nutrition-expert-and-led-the-team-at-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The food pyramid that told us to eat low fat and enormous amounts of grains was probably more a product of lobbying by Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-food-pyramid-that-told-us-to-eat-low-fat-and-enormous-amounts-of/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Our food pyramid, the kind of diet that is constantly promoted, is completely warped. It's not based around anything to do with healing your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/our-food-pyramid-the-kind-of-diet-that-is-constantly-promoted-is/) [Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/) > [“Finn, it's high school. It's an ecosystem, and you just stot right to the top of the food pyramid!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-nowlin/finn-it-s-high-school-it-s-an-ecosystem-and-you-just-stot-right-to/) [Laura Nowlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-nowlin/) > [The food pyramid is very complicated. It doesn't give you as much info in a quick glance as the plate does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/the-food-pyramid-is-very-complicated-it-doesn-t-give-you-as-much-info/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [“DR. FUHRMAN’S FOOD PYRAMID In a food pyramid, the foods that are consumed in the highest quantity are placed at the base. However, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/dr-fuhrman-s-food-pyramid-in-a-food-pyramid-the-foods-that-are/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [I would love to encourage all my teammates to eat the best way they possibly can. High school athletes. Now, that's not the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/i-would-love-to-encourage-all-my-teammates-to-eat-the-best-way-they/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [“Sugar has a very special, oversized place on my food pyramid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/sugar-has-a-very-special-oversized-place-on-my-food-pyramid/) [Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/) > [Dietitians and nutritionists rely on the ADA food pyramid - a political document that is influenced by the food lobbies, including big dairy, big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/dietitians-and-nutritionists-rely-on-the-ada-food-pyramid-a-political/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) > [“The popular media and conventional wisdom, including the medical profession's traditional approach to nutrition, have created and continue to perpetuate this problem through inadequate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hoggan/the-popular-media-and-conventional-wisdom-including-the-medical/) Ron Hoggan > [The USDA is tasked with managing and promoting agriculture - including the well-funded animal agriculture industry - so it's pulled into a tug-of-war every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/the-usda-is-tasked-with-managing-and-promoting-agriculture-including/) [Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/) > [To help producers serve larger institutional customers like schools and hospitals, USDA has helped fund new regional infrastructure like cold storage warehouses, commercial kitchens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/to-help-producers-serve-larger-institutional-customers-like-schools/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [There are some farmers who have been terribly discriminated against by the USDA. They've suffered tremendous losses and pain and anguish, and they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/there-are-some-farmers-who-have-been-terribly-discriminated-against/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [Floods, droughts, and natural disasters are a fact of life for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. They have persevered in the past, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-perdue/floods-droughts-and-natural-disasters-are-a-fact-of-life-for-farmers/) [Sonny Perdue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-perdue/) ## More by Caldwell Esselstyn > [As a physician, I am embarrassed by my profession's lack of interest in healthier lifestyles. We need to change the way we approach chronic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/as-a-physician-i-am-embarrassed-by-my-profession-s-lack-of-interest/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [Collectively the media; the meat, oil, and dairy industries; most prominent chefs and cookbook authors; and our own government are not presenting accurate advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/collectively-the-media-the-meat-oil-and-dairy-industries-most/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/genetics-loads-the-gun-lifestyle-pulls-the-trigger/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [Heart disease is a food-borne illness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/heart-disease-is-a-food-borne-illness/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [Heart disease is a foodborne illness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/heart-disease-is-a-foodborne-illness/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [Some people think plant-based diet, whole foods diet is extreme. Half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/some-people-think-plant-based-diet-whole-foods-diet-is-extreme-half-a/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) > [I'll remind you one more time, I've treated a lot of vegans for heart disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caldwell-esselstyn/i-ll-remind-you-one-more-time-i-ve-treated-a-lot-of-vegans-for-heart/) [Caldwell Esselstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) [Explore all 8 Caldwell Esselstyn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caldwell-esselstyn/) ## More Als quotes > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [You can't ignore reality. You won't wake up one morning and find that the Arabs of Umm al-Faham have become part of Palestine and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-ayalon/you-can-t-ignore-reality-you-won-t-wake-up-one-morning-and-find-that/) [Ami Ayalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-ayalon/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > ['Constitutional' is just a real pip of a word. Positively rolls off the tongue. In fact, it's downright fun to say. 'Con-stit-too-shun-al.' It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/constitutional-is-just-a-real-pip-of-a-word-positively-rolls-off-the/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [Everybody who I ever cared about has told me that they like my music: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Al Green, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/everybody-who-i-ever-cared-about-has-told-me-that-they-like-my-music/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Paraphrased: The way of al-Junayd includes among other things abstaining constantly from resisting God Most High in whatever happens to one, whether good or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-ata-allah/paraphrased-the-way-of-al-junayd-includes-among-other-things/) [Ibn Ata Allah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-ata-allah/) > [For Al Gore and Paul Ehrlich and Co., whatever the problem, the solution is always the same. Whether it's global cooling, global warming, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/for-al-gore-and-paul-ehrlich-and-co-whatever-the-problem-the-solution/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Barack Obama became president, and he abandoned Iraq. He left, and when he left Al Qaida was done for. 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It becomes rusty as a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/the-heart-becomes-sick-as-the-body-becomes-sick-and-its-remedy-is-al/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) > [Bin Laden was, though, a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies. Throughout the 80s he was armed by the CIA and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-cook/bin-laden-was-though-a-product-of-a-monumental-miscalculation-by/) [Robin Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-cook/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. 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