Food Pyramid For Healthy Eating Guidelines

Food pyramid is one type of graphical guideline about the different kinds of food. It must be taken throughout the day in order to get a balanced and healthy diet.

The idea of the pyramid is simple and you must eat a lot of foods from the bottom two shelves of the pyramid. These foods in the nutrition table are mainly bread, potatoes, cereals, vegetables and fruit with small amounts of foods. These foods come from cheese, milk, meat, yoghurt and alternatives. The oils, fats and sweets that come in the form of the tip of the pyramid must be controlled with some servings as possible. The selecting of a correct mixture of foods from all the shelf of the pyramid will give protein, energy, minerals and vitamins. In fact, this pyramid is the main source of healthy eating guidelines.

It is mentioned to take 6 to 11 portions of the foods below the bottom class of the pyramid. The bread, cereals, pasta, and grains give you Vitamin B and carbohydrates that are very important source of energy. There is also another serving of this group that is measured to be one half cup cooked rice, half a bread roll, one slice of bread, one half cup cooked grains, one ounce muesli.

Here given some tips that contain in the food pyramid:

• Fruits and vegetables: These are very rich in nutrients and some are great sources of vitamin A and vitamin C, whilst low in fats, high in fiber, sugar and sodium. Food Pyramid recommends 3 to 5 portions of vegetables every day. The serving of vegetables may be one cup of fresh leafy vegetables, raw vegetables and also three quarters of vegetable juice in a cup. It suggests for taking at least two servings of different fruit every day. One serving may be composed of, one medium sized apple, banana, half cup of chopped, cooked fruit and three quarters fruit juice of a cup. It is mentioned that fruit juice would be fresh and would not from any bottled juices at superstores, as these contain sugars and calories that might affect your diet plans.
• Meats, Fish, Nuts, and Beans: Fish, meat, poultry, nuts and eggs are very important elements of the daily diet because they supply iron, zinc, and protein. The non-meat foods like beans and dried peas give a lot of nutrients. This food pyramid proposes 2 to 3 servings of poultry, cooked meat, or fish. The serving is being composed of, two tablespoons seeds, one egg and about two to three ounces of cooked fish and meat.
• Milk and Calcium Rich Foods: Cheeses, milk, and yogurts are sources of a lot of protein and calcium. This pyramid mentions two to three servings and one cup milk. Sometimes, yogurt and two ounces of cheese are also used.
• Fats and sweets: The best food pyramid is the slightest part that means the sweets and fats and it would contain a small percentage of the diet. These foods are salad dressings, chips, mayonnaise cream, oils, margarine, sugars, butter, cakes, soft drinks, pastries and biscuits. These foods must be eaten less than 3 servings as they give calories.

How the Food Pyramid Has Changed?

The United States Department of Agriculture has published a food guide in 1992, and it aimed for inspiring the people to eat healthy food. It was known as the food pyramid. It is given a guideline to the groups and sizes of food.

Here is a step by step healthy eating guidelines about changing food pyramid:

• This type of pyramid is commonly used for food packaging. It is showed by horizontally-divided pieces which show the kind and portion of foods that people must eat. The guide of healthy eating was most recent updated in 2005. After that, it becomes bring up to date in 2010.
• In 1992, the critics of the pyramid have been pointed out its references. There are mistaken and lack of clarity. The dietary practices, for example taking 3 cups of milk and also 8 oz. of hamburger every day have been related to heart disease because it is proposed by the pyramid. The food pyramid did not differentiate among different kinds of protein, like meat, eggs, poultry, nuts, dry beans, and fish. These were taken below one label. It was not made clear if serving proportions were the maximum or minimum suggested portions.
• The USDA took a new tack to develop healthy eating in 2005. It was retooled in 1992 pyramid. It was divided into vertical or horizontal and color-coded divisions. The colored stripes thickness shows the suggested portions. It would be consumed by the children and also adults. The yellow and purple bands for oil and meat are thinner than the other ones signifying vegetables, grains, dairy and fruits.
• The symbol of food portions and classes nutrition label are very popular to the people.  The new pyramid shows a figure hiking up stairs above the pyramid side. It is symbolic of the rank that is necessary to make a healthy life.
• The foods which a person eats can make a substantial change to their health. It must be one what the people eat. Physical exercise is the key elements to a better life.

Low Carb Food Pyramid

The key point for using the food pyramid is to guide people in creating the exact dietary choices. When the simple food pyramid lists mentioned items by food groups, then the new axioms have jumped in the recent years.

The weight viewers are looking for a low carb food pyramid because the reference point is to jump to start their journey to a thinner and healthier figure. It can refer to the Okinawa Diet Plan by Dr. Bradley Wilcox. It shows low glycemic guide for good carbs with healthy fats and useful proteins. Then it can help the people who are attentive on sticking to their weight loss agenda.

The foods which contain low caloric density will satisfy the people more and so decreasing snacking for unhealthy food. People need to reduce their weight to become healthy and turn to caloric density. Most of the fruits, like banana or apple have a caloric density of 0.6. The eating habit of healthy brown rice has a caloric density of 1.2 because against bacon that is 5.56.

Dieters are suggested to take more meat, low-starch veggies, eggs, pork & chickens, seafood, and fish to the extent that the low carb food pyramid goes. You can also use cheese, plain yogurt, nuts and polyunsaturated fats as healthy eating guidelines that are used in moderation.