Food pyramids outline various food groups and food choices that form the foundation of a healthy diet, describes the Mayo Clinic. Shaped like a triangle, the pyramid shows the foods that should be the foundation or bulk of the diet at the base. As the pyramid goes up, foods are described that should be eaten in smaller quantities or less frequently. Many varieties of food pyramids are available for any type of diet.
MyPyramid
MyPyramid is a food guide familiar to many Americans; developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, it was formerly known as the Food Guide Pyramid. This pyramid is different than others, as it has side-by-side colored stripes, which vary in width to signify the quantity of daily servings of each food group. The widest orange stripe represents grains; the green vegetable stripe and blue milk stripe are the next widest. Fruits are next with a red stripe, then purple for meat and beans. A yellow narrow stripe signifies fats.
Vegetarian Pyramid
In 1999, the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published an article detailing the development of a vegetarian food pyramid. The five major food-based groups, including whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and nuts and seed form the lowest portion of the pyramid; an optional triangle rests on top with oils, dairy products, eggs and sweets. These optional choices depend on the health beliefs of the individual vegetarians. The bulk of this diet is from grains and legumes.
Mayo Clinic and Mediterranean Food Pyramids
The Mayo Clinic developed its own healthy weight food pyramid. One difference in their version is that they recommend specific serving sizes of each food group. The basis of the Mayo Clinic pyramid is fruits and vegetable, with carbohydrates next, then protein and dairy. Fats and sweets are at the top, the smallest amount. The Mediterranean diet pyramid includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, legumes, nuts and seeds and herbs and spices as the foundation. Fish and seafood are next, then poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt. Meats and sweets are very limited.
Asian and Latin American Food Pyramids
The Asian diet pyramid has a narrow strip at the bottom of the base that includes rice, noodle, breads and whole grains. Three larger, wider portions are above this, and include fruits, vegetables and legumes and nuts and seeds. The next level is oils, then fish and dairy, then eggs and poultry, with very limited sweets and meats at the top. The Latin American diet pyramid is the simplest, with only four categories. The foundation includes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and spices. The next level is seafood, then poultry, eggs and dairy, with meats and sweets at the top.
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