The Food-Pyramid

Explanation of the Food-Pyramid

Following the food-pyramid - eating more of the foodstuffs at the bottom of the pyramid, and less of the ones at the top - is intended to be a lifestyle pattern change, rather than a temporary diet. This safe eating plan can be adopted for life and will help you stay healthy. It should provide most, if not all of the nutriants necessary to help you age well.

A Bit of History

Released in 1992, the food-pyramid is a nutrition guide suggesting how much of each food category one should eat each day for a healthy diet.

In general terms the the following intake of different food groups each day is recommended:

* 6-11 servings of grain a day such as rice, bread, cereals, and pasta;
* 3-5 servings a day of vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables;
* 2-4 servings of fruits a day;
* 2-3 servings of meat, fish, eggs, nuts, or beans a day;
* 2-3 servings of dairy products including cheese and yogurt every other day;
* occasional use of fats, oils, and sweets.

IndividuaLS were encouraged to consume the foods within a certain range of servings, but in the original version - released in 1992 - gave no hint on how to interpret that choice.

Later on, The United States Department of Agriculture released a new version of the 1992 food pyramid called MyPyramid that gives a hint about what a serving should contain:

* Grains, recommending that at least half of grains consumed be as whole grains;
* Vegetables, emphasizing dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and dry beans and peas;
* Fruits, emphasizing variety and deemphasizing fruit juices;
* Oils, recommending fish, nut and vegetables sources;
* Milk, a category that includes other dairy products;
* Meat and beans, emphasizing low-fat and lean meats such as fish as well as more beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

How Much is a Serving?

Interpreting the food-pyramid, some nutritionists have established the serving sizes for a 2000 calories/day diet.

Grains

* 1 bread slice
* 1/2 roll
* 5 - 6 small biscuits or 3 - 4 large biscuits
* 1/2 cup of cereals, rice or cooked pasta
* 1 medium baked potato
* 80 g fried potatoes
* 100 g smashed potato

Fruits

* 1 fruit (apple, banana or a medium orange)
* 1/2 grapefruit
* 1 slice melon
* 3/4 cup of fruits juice
* 1/2 cup of small fruits (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry etc.)
* 1/2 cup of sliced fruits, cooked or from a can
* 1/4 cup of figs

Dry vegetables, nuts and seeds

* 1/2 cooked beans
* 6 peanuts
* 2 table spoons of peanut butter
* 1/3 cup of nuts/seeds

Greens

* 1/2 cup of cooked greens
* 1/2 cup of sliced greens
* 1 cup of greens (spinach, green salad)

Dairy, eggs

* 1 cup of milk
* 1 cup of soymilk
* 1 glass (250 ml) of yogurt
* 30 - 50 grams cheese
* 1 egg

Oil and fats

* 1 tea spoon of oil
* 1 tea spoon of margarine
* 1 tea spoon of salad dressing
* 1 table spoon of mayonnaise

Source: This text has been reproduced from the Diet Motion web site (see link below). It gives a detailed explanation of the Food-Pyramid and I doubt we can find a better one anywhere else. The Diet Motion Web Site - Article on the Food-Pyramid