Due to the vast differences among U.S. residents there is no such thing as a perfect diet that is universal for every American, but there are nutrient recommendations developed based on scientific research that satisfy human needs. The perfect American diet is one that provides all essential nutrients and is culturally, socially and economically reasonable.
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture developed the MyPyramid diet plan. One main goal of MyPyramid is to advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans. The MyPyramid Plan allows for people to know how many servings from each food group is necessary to meet their nutrient and calorie needs. This design, while not completely applicable toward every American, serves as the basis for many other food guides developed for other conditions and preferences.
Food Groups
The MyPyramid food groups were chosen based on the foods commonly found within the American supply that will provide the essential nutrients. The main five food groups are grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and mean and beans. There is also a section for oils. The number of servings for each group differs based on calorie needs. Typical grains in the American diet include pasta, oatmeal, bread, popcorn and rice. Typical fruits and vegetables include apples, oranges, grapes, corn and peas. Milk and cheese are common in the American diet, MyPyramid recommends that for the perfect diet, you should choose low-fat dairy options. The same low-fat recommendation applies to meat and bean servings.
Considerations
While the MyPyramid plan is perfect for providing all essential nutrients, it is not completely appropriate for every American from different cultures or those with certain conditions or preferences. Although this plan is also heavily scientifically backed, there is some debate among experts that has led to the emergence of different food guide plans on what they believe to be the perfect American diet.
The Healthy Eating Pyramid
The Harvard School of Public Health developed a food guide plan called The Healthy Eating Pyramid. The researchers who developed this pyramid believe it is the most scientifically sound ideal diet plan for Americans. This pyramid is different than MyPyramid in that it puts more emphasis on the importance of consuming healthy vegetable oils, eating nuts and beans, getting adequate vitamin D, controlling weight and getting enough physical activity. Both The Healthy Eating Pyramid and MyPyramid appear to be perfectly applicable American diets.
Other Food Guides
Other food guide plans exist for other eating patterns, including vegetarian, soul food and diabetes. These plans show how to consume all essential nutrients within the dietary preferences. Loma Linda University developed a food guide pyramid for vegetarians. This food guide describes the perfect diet for Americans with vegetarian preferences. The food groups on this pyramid are grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, vegetables oil, dairy and eggs. The soul food plan uses foods common in the soul food diet and organizes them into appropriate groups. The diabetes food guide displays a food eating pattern useful for controlling blood glucose levels.
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