Food – though considered as the basic necessity to stay alive has turned into a fascinating topic as it has been enhanced over time, overly consumed, overemphasized, and sometimes also neglected. We live in a generation where we are filled with fast-food restaurants or prefer pre-prepared meals. As the concept of healthy eating has spurred up people become more curious about what is best for their body as an individual. Are you a foodie? Well, who doesn’t love food? But then, are you aware of the quantity and variations of food that are most suitable for your body? You must have heard of the term food pyramid. But do you know about the design of the food pyramid or what does it say about food for your health?
The basic food pyramid gives us a baseline understanding of what is vital to human health. It doesn’t necessarily define health, but it enables our efforts to eat well so that we can live a healthy lifestyle. The food pyramid allows health to be accompanied by basic education instead of tending towards fad diets.
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Food pyramid as the name suggests…
The food pyramid is a graphical representation that illustrates the food groups that we should include in a healthy diet along with the proportions of each food group. A balanced diet is considered a mixed combination of plant-based foods, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, a limited amount of healthy fats, and most importantly plenty of fluids mainly water. It is reviewed that if we follow healthy food pyramid guidelines it lowers the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart ailments.
U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced the first food pyramid in the year 1992. This was based on their extensive consumer research on eating patterns. However, the initial model was reconstructed in the year 2005 and finally, it has been replaced by a plate model during 2011.
Benefits you can achieve following food pyramid –
Let’s discuss the advantages of the food pyramid:
You are getting a variety of food options:
The food pyramid ensures consuming a balanced diet from the five main food groups as mentioned in above. Also, the pyramid recommends the desired servings per day. It focuses on the fact that it is healthier to include a variety of foods in the daily diet than focusing on any one or two of the groups.
You can limit certain foods:
The food pyramid guides us in recommending the percentage of food for each food group. We must put stress on fat intake because excess fat is not good for heart health. Even though fat found in olive oil is healthy, that doesn’t mean we consume it in excess.
Clear-cut guidance of what is good for your health:
The food pyramid provides pictorial clear-cut guidance regarding healthy food habits which is very easy to understand. With the use of the pyramid, you can easily understand that the foods at the bottom of the pyramid must constitute most of the everyday diet whereas the foods near the top are not very good for the health and must be consumed less or should be avoided as per health condition.
Remind you to eat the healthy way
When you are following the food pyramid you are on the track to getting the recommended daily requirements. It not only reminds you to eat healthfully but also stay alert on what you are eating and not take it as food so that you can include that in the next meal.
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for different age groups
| Children (aged 2 to 5) | Children (aged 6 to 11) | Teenagers (aged 12 to 17) | Adults | Elderly |
| Grains: 1.5 – 3 bowls | Grains: 3 – 4 bowls | Grains: 4 – 6 bowls | Grains: 3 – 8 bowls | Grains: 3 – 5 bowls |
| Vegetables: at least 1.5 servings | Vegetables: at least 2 servings | Vegetables: at least 3 servings | Vegetables: at least 3 servings | Vegetables: at least 3 servings |
| Fruits: at least 1 serving | Fruits: at least 2 servings | Fruits: at least 2 servings | Fruits: at least 2 servings | Fruits: at least 2 servings |
| Meat, fish, egg, and alternatives: 1.5 – 3 taels | Meat, fish, egg, and alternatives: 3 – 5 taels | Meat, fish, egg, and alternatives: 4 – 6 taels | Meat, fish, egg, and alternatives: 5 – 8 taels | Meat, fish, egg, and alternatives: 5 – 6 taels |
| Milk and alternatives: 2 servings | Milk and alternatives: 2 servings | Milk and alternatives: 2 servings | Milk and alternatives: 1 – 2 servings | Milk and alternatives: 1 – 2 servings |
| Fat/oil, salt, and sugar: eat the least | Fat/oil, salt, and sugar: eat the least | Fat/oil, salt, and sugar: eat the least | Fat/oil, salt, and sugar: eat the least | Fat/oil, salt, and sugar: eat the least |
| Fluid: 4 – 5 glasses | Fluid: 6 – 8 glasses | Fluid: 6 – 8 glasses | Fluid: 6 – 8 glasses | Fluid: 6 – 8 glasses |
1tael = 40 grams (raw meat).
- Please note the above recommendations are meant for healthy individuals only. If you have chronic diseases or need specific needs of nutrients, you should consult your doctors and dietitians for personalized dietary recommendations.
Is the same food pyramid valid for all countries?
This may differ depending on countries, and their environmental aspects. Several other factors matter here like the accessibility of food, societal beliefs, evolution, and culture. Besides, there are nationwide problems that influence the food pyramid. Some countries consider more food groups and focus on specific types of calorie consumption. Also, some consume certain types of foods and restrict the consumption of other types of foods.
Apart from the cultural and societal influence, the food pyramid must be formed based on one’s medical condition. For example, a person with diabetes needs to consume fewer carbohydrates so the general food pyramid does not apply to him. Similarly, specific guidelines are there for health conditions like high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Furthermore, the food pyramid is not conventional in some countries like the UK, USA, Spain, and Sweden where instead of a food pyramid a circle graphic is being used as guidelines. The plate shows how much is required to be consumed from each food group.
Is the Food Pyramid Still Valid?
The food pyramid has a few flaws.
The first thing is it is designed to be a guide as generic. It encompasses everyone assuming they all have the same health condition and with the same needs. Though the concept of the food pyramid has been around for many years, however, we should not make it the ultimate authority for our everyday eating. We should follow as per our individual health condition. Furthermore, it promotes a healthy balance and balance is the key to any diet, health change, or lifestyle.
Secondly, the food pyramid overemphasizes grains which include gluten. But recent studies show gluten can be the source of many problems. It is not entirely bad but it should not be consumed blindly as suggested by the food pyramid. In a general view, the food pyramid encourages high carb and low-fat foods. However, our body requires good fats regularly to maintain a healthy amount of HDL in the blood which is very beneficial for a healthy heart. So, we must stress good fats like seeds, nuts, olive oil, etc.
Thirdly, the food pyramid emphasizes dairy consumption as a link between dairy products and strong bones that are overhyped for years. Instead, we should focus on Vitamin D consumption to strengthen our bones while eliminating the negative effects of dairy.
Overall, the food pyramid focuses on food balance which is vital irrespective of any kind of diet.
Final verdict
Many in the health and fitness industry stray from the general pyramid as they know the “right” and “wrong” things to do and eat. It makes their own way to control their food and health. However, many people lack a basic understanding of what is a healthy diet or what it should look like.
Don’t complicate the idea of the food pyramid and consider it an easy way to understand the staple items that should be on your plate everyday basis. To remain in tip-top health, consume the required proportion of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and oils, beans, whole grains, nuts, and plenty of fluids specifically water.