A food guide pyramid helps users to choose a variety of foods in healthy proportions. Different food guides have been released by organizations such as the USDA and MayoClinic.com to help people determine how many servings foods from each group are best to maintain a healthy diet, avoid chronic disease, and get essential nutrients. All food guides suggest a variety of foods from different groups to achieve optimal health.
USDA Food Guide Pyramid
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid was released in 1992 and includes six divided portions. The bottom of the pyramid is the largest part and includes bread, cereal, rice and pasta. The pyramid recommends consuming six to 11 servings of these foods a day. The next tier of the pyramid represents the fruit and vegetable groups, with a recommended two to four servings and three to five servings per day, respectively. The third tier represents the dairy group, which includes milk, yogurt and cheese. Two to three servings daily are recommended from this group. The meat, fish, poultry, dry beans, eggs and nuts group is also on the third tier, and the USDA recommends two to three servings from this group per day as well. The top of the pyramid represents fats, oils and sweet,s which should be consumed sparingly.
USDA MyPyramid
The USDA MyPyramid is the updated food pyramid released in 2005. This pyramid represents the food groups with different colored stripes that narrow and meet at the top of the pyramid. The different colors indicate variety. The narrow portion represents foods that contain added sugar and solid fat, which should be consumed in moderation. The size of each stripe indicates the proportionality of each group. For example, the grains group is visibly larger than the oils group, indicating that you should strive to consume less oils and more grains. The pyramid includes a person climbing stairs as a reminder that physical activity is essential to a healthy lifestyle.This food pyramid is interactive, and you can get personalized eating plans to help you make better food choices.
Vegetarian Food Pyramid
The American Dietetic Association has made nutritional recommendations for vegetarians in the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid has horizontal lines and is drawn to look like a 3-D pyramid. Six servings of grains are suggested at the base of the pyramid. The pyramid also recommends five servings of legumes and protein rich foods, four servings of vegetables, two servings of fruits and two servings of fats. The pyramid gives examples of each type of food. The side of the 3-D pyramid represents calcium-rich foods, and recommends eight servings of such foods from different groups. Vegetables rich in calcium include broccoli and kale.
Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid
MayoClinic.com released a food pyramid designed to help users achieve a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet. The key to achieving a healthy weight is to choose healthy options, limit sweets and partake in daily physical activity. Mayo Clinic pyramid places fruits and vegetables at the bottom and suggests that people eat at least three servings of fruit and four servings of vegetables. No upper limit is placed on the number of fruits and vegetables that should be consumed. Carbohydrates are above fruits and vegetables with a recommended four to eight daily servings. Proteins and dairy are grouped together above carbohydrates, and the pyramid suggests consuming between three and seven servings daily. Fats are recommended at between three and five daily servings, while sweets finish at the top of the pyramid with a limit of 75 calories daily.
Other Food Guides
The USDA, Mayo Clinic and Oldways have developed several different guides to help people make balanced and nutritious food choices. In addition to the food guides mentioned above, there are many more food guides for special populations. The Asian Diet Pyarmid, the Latin American Diet Pyramid, the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and the MyPyramid for Older Adults are reliable resources to help you achieve balance in your diet based on your lifestyle.
Member Comments