Food Pyramid

What is food pyramid?

The food pyramid, also called the food guide pyramid, is a nutritional guide. The earlier nutritional concept was of food groups’ classification. It was replaced by the food guide pyramid in 1992. There are various categories in the food guide pyramid that implies the required optimal intake of food for proper nutrition from each category. Alternately, the pyramid is also suggestive about the percentage composition of a nutritional diet in different food groups.

The food groups’ classification served the same purpose, but with the growing threats from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, the classification needed a change. The result was the food guide pyramid. Usually, foods from every group from the pyramid should be taken daily according to the guidelines. This is required for a healthier lifestyle and a disease-free living.

The food groups of food pyramid

The fruits group: The fruits are represented by a red strip. Fruits are sweet in taste and most of these bear seeds. However, some parts of plants that do not bear seeds can also be considered fruits. Fruits are rich in natural vitamins, sugars and fibers and are low in fats and calories. According to the food pyramid recommendations, daily 2-4 servings of fruits are needed for healthy adults.

The oils group: A thin yellow strip in the pyramid represents the oils group. Oils include the butter, fats, cooking oils, and sweets. Lesser amounts of foods from this group should be taken according to the pyramid. However, the MyPyramid does not consider this group as foods.

The grain group: A thick orange strip in the food pyramid represents the grain group that includes breads, pastas, crackers, cereals, and rice. Food energy is supplied by grains in the form of starch. Protein is the main nutrient that is obtained from grains. Additionally, dietary fiber, fatty acids and other useful nutrients are also provided by grains. The pyramid recommends 6-11 Daily servings of grains.

The vegetable group: It is represented by a green strip. Vegetables are obtained from plants and these are not sweet in taste. Vegetables are not considered as grains, fruits, nuts or herbs. Vegetables are important for the essential vitamins and minerals. Very little amounts of fats and calories are available in vegetables. The pyramid recommends 3-5 daily servings of vegetables.

The Dairy group: The dairy group is represented by a thick blue strip. Dairy group includes milk, yogurt, cheese and various derivatives of milk. Dairy foods are rich in minerals, vitamins, fats and proteins. For an adult, the pyramid recommends 3 cups of dairy items daily.

Meat, fish, egg, poultry, nuts and dry beans group: This last group of the pyramid and is represented by a purple strip. Meats provide proteins, minerals and vitamins. They also provide energy and nutrients but are high in fats and cholesterols. The pyramid recommends 3-5 servings of food of this group.

The food groups classification

The food groups’ classification that was in practice before the food pyramid was accepted by USDA. It had thirteen food groups. The groups are further divided into various classes according to their nature and nutritional values. These groups were the following;

Milk and milk products
Meat and meat products
Eggs and egg products
Fish, mollusks, reptiles, crustaceans and their products
Oils, fats and their products
Pulses, seeds, kernels, nuts, and their products
Grains and grain products
Vegetables and vegetable products
Fruits and fruit products
Sugar, sugar products, chocolate products and confectionery
Beverages
Miscellaneous, soups, sauces, snacks and their products, and
Products for special nutritional use

Implications of food pyramid

The food pyramid is important to gain information regarding the dietary habits of people. The size and volume of the various food groups in the pyramid are built to signify the needs of the nutrients for human beings.

There should be variety in foods: The pyramid indicates that a variety of foods should be taken in the daily diet. It is essential to include foods from every group.

The necessity of different foods is different: The pyramid indicates that various volumes of foods are needed for a healthy diet. The thin strips represent that less amount foods of that particular group should be taken than others.

Needs of food pyramid

The food pyramid is important for many reasons. It not only provides clues about the foods that should be taken to stay healthy but it also offers a detailed study of foods’ various constituents. By personalizing the pyramid to individual needs, it can be made easier to consider some foods predominantly over others. The pyramid is also indicates which foods are essential and which should be controlled to avoid various chronic diseases.

The increase of chronic illnesses in recent days and their early onsets have fuelled a debate about the need of a healthy diet intake to avoid these diseases. The food pyramid helps in this purpose as well. It also offers information about the various groups of food that are necessary with a detailed insight into the constituents and their requirements.

The United States Department of Agriculture considers the pyramid to be ideal for determining the needs of the general adult to maintain healthier lifestyles. However, there are many criticisms about the importance of the food pyramid. Still, it is the single source for obtaining knowledge about the need and importance of foods in daily life for general people. The need is to maintain a regular check so that the foods that are recommended by the pyramid can be taken daily.

Linus Orakles
http://www.authorclub.info/