What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

The variety of both natural and highly processed foods available at the market is overwhelming so the US Department of agriculture designed what is known as the food pyramid. Why was this name chosen? Because that’s exactly what it is. It’s shaped in the form of a pyramid with labeled illustrations and it demonstrates the different groups of essential food types and how much should be consumed by a normal individual.

Food types that serve as a ready source of energy and are rich in starch and low in fat, which include pasta, bread, cereals and different types of grain form the base of the pyramid. As specified by the food pyramid a normal adult individual requires between six and eleven servings of these items every day. Of all the foods in this group whole grain are considered the best and the healthiest. As an example, a cup of cereal flakes, a slice of bread, one ounce of rice or pasta and one flat tortilla would be considered a single serving.

Vegetables and fruits are required in less quantity than carbohydrates according to the food pyramid. It specifies that a normal adult only requires three to five servings of vegetables and only two to four servings of fruits each day. Vegetables and fruits have high fiber content so this food group is a great help in keeping bowel movements regular.
They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, which helps boost immunity and overall health in general. Although fruit juice is acceptable, fresh fruit has many more benefits and should be chosen whenever possible and when it comes to vegetables go for the darker green vegetables.

Proteins and dairy products are the next step up the pyramid. The recommendation for a normal adult is two to three servings each day. Some sources of protein are eggs, beans, fish, lean meat and nuts. Whenever meat is used any visible fat should be removed. This will cut down the calories and you don’t want pure fat entering you body. Nuts also contain fat so they should be used moderately. Milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream fall into the dairy category. Without saying, Ice scream and cheese should not be eaten in high quantity since they both contain high fat content. Milk contains vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus and could be considered almost a complete diet all alone.

At the peak of the food pyramid are the fats, oils, and sweets. Any of these foods should be used sparingly. Other foods that fall into this category are cream, butter, margarine, candies, etc; the body has a hard time digesting any of these items so usage should be in moderation. They should not however be eliminated.. As with all the other foods in the pyramid they are an important part of ones diet.