The Nutritional Food Pyramid is a visual design created to conceptualize the daily dietary guidelines of a healthy diet for "apparently healthy" individuals over the age of 2. This design concept was adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992 to replace the basic food groups classification system. Each portion of the pyramid represents a food group and illustrates the recommended daily serving as a percentage of calorie intake.
Dietary Guidelines
The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" are established and updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS.) These groups design their recommendations to ensure a healthy diet for the general American public over the age of 2. The goal of these guidelines is to implement practices like consuming a moderate number of calories, making informed food choices, reducing the risk of chronic disease, maintaining a healthy weight, becoming physically active and promoting total wellness. A "healthy diet," as defined by the Food Guide Pyramid, emphasizes fruits; vegetables; whole grains; low-/no-fat dairy products; lean proteins; and a very low intake of sugar, salt, fat and cholesterol. Daily servings vary based on factors like age, sex and activity level.
Grains
The grains section of the pyramid can be broken down into two groups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains are grains that have not been processed and contain the entire grain kernel. These grains are a richer source of important nutrients like dietary fiber, iron and a number of B vitamins. Refined grains have been processed to improve the texture and lengthen the shelf life. This process removes many of the naturally occurring nutrients found in whole grains. Most product manufacturers will enrich the products with B vitamins and iron, but fiber is not added back. It is for this reason that whole grains are emphasized over refined grains.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables, although widely acknowledged as part of a healthy diet, are often left out of many American diets. In general, dietary guidelines recommend a daily intake of 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to many biological functions of the body. Many of the foods that fall in this category are loaded with antioxidants that reduce the risk of a vast array of diseases and chronic conditions.
Dairy
Dairy intake ensures consumption of calcium, which is an essential function of not only growth, but bone health and metabolism. Good examples of dairy products include low-fat or skim milk, low-/no-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheeses. Many dairy products are high in saturated fats and can contribute to higher levels of "bad" cholesterol. Therefore, dietary guidelines only emphasize low- and no-fat dairy products and do not include products that contain little or no calcium, such as ice cream and butter.
Protein
The protein group includes eggs, beef, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds. Proteins are essential to the function and maintenance of the body. Protein foods are rich sources of B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc and magnesium. Much like dairy products, foods from the protein group are often high in saturated fat and cholesterol and may contribute to chronic disease. Dietary guidelines suggest choosing lean proteins that are not fried and emphasize the health benefits of fish, nuts and seeds as they are also excellent sources of omega-3.
Fats and Oils
The smallest slice of the Food Guide Pyramid are fats and oils. The human body needs some fat to survive. Healthier choices include mono- and polyunsaturated fats; saturated and trans fat should be eliminated from the diet if at all possible. Healthy sources include fish; nuts; and various oils like olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. Discretionary calories are often combined with this portion of the Food Guide Pyramid. These include sodium, added sugars and basic "junk" foods. Generally, this section includes portions of the diet that are unnecessary and should be consumed moderately, if at all.
Member Comments