What Is The Base Of The Food Pyramid?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid provides guidelines for healthy eating to children, adults and the elderly. The base of the food pyramid contains the food that should be eaten the most, which is grains. The USDA recommends 6 to 11 servings daily. The grain category provides you with much needed carbohydrates, which are the energy source for the body. Most of your meals should contain foods from this category.

Identification

At the base of the food pyramid is the grain category. This category contains grain-based carbohydrate food sources. Carbohydrates are a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. There are two forms of carbohydrates: simple and complex. In the body, carbohydrates turn into glucose, or sugar, which is carried through to the cells to create energy. Simple carbohydrates break down fast in the body, causing a quick rise in glucose shortly after eating them. Examples of simple carbohydrates are cookies, chocolate, sugar and honey. Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down, which promotes prolonged energy and slower rising glucose levels. Complex carbohydrate food sources include oats, whole-grain cereal, whole-meal pasta, whole-meal flour and brown rice. Your digestive system breaks all carbohydrates down into sugar molecules, with the exception of fiber carbohydrates.

Choices

Although some diets claim carbohydrates cause health problems, it is important to remember that the body relies on carbohydrates for fuel. Admittedly some carbohydrate food sources contain large amounts of sugar and additives; however, some sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruit, contain an array of vitamins and minerals essential for good health. Easily digestible carbohydrates such as white rice, pastries and soda may contribute to weight gain and increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Servings

Grain-based carbohydrates are listed at the base of the food pyramid as grains; however, on some food pyramids this category may be listed as carbohydrates. The USDA MyPyramid suggests half of your daily servings of grains should come from whole-grain sources such as brown rice, whole-wheat flour and oatmeal. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 should consume 6 ounce-equivalents of grains per day, and men between the ages of 19 and 30 should consume 8 ounce-equivalents of grains per day, according to the USDA MyPyramid. Men between the ages of 31 and 50 need to eat 7 ounce-equivalents of grains per day. An ounce-equivalent may be one slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta, or 1/2 English muffin.

Health Benefits

Carbohydrates that are rich in fiber can help lower bad cholesterol, balance blood sugar and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Some carbohydrates may contain B complex vitamins, which are necessary for the maintenance of skin, hair, eyes, nerves, hormones and tissues. According to MyPyramid, eating high-fiber carbohydrate sources can may you feel fuller longer, which reduces the amount of calories you consume per day. Some examples of high-fiber grain-based foods are whole-wheat spaghetti, barley and oatmeal.