Healthy Food Pyramid

   

 Introduction

Food pyramid is a choice to guide daily food choices. It is graphically  represented as a pyramid.This food pyramid tells us to include  more of fruits, vegetables and grains in their diet. It may be noticed that an Indian diet basically leans more towards this food pyramid.

Chapati or rice gives our children  a lot of grains. Most people who can afford to buy fruits  and vegetables should consume it.Meat is usually served with grains. Beans and pulses provide a good substitute for those who do not eat meat.Milk and milk preparations , especially curds, are common ingredients in our diet.

However it is also true that with the opening of a large  number of fast food restaurants, some children are being weaned away from a healthy, balanced diet.The pyramid is also specific a number of servings.The details about one servings of grains, fruit, vegetable, meat and milk products are given in pyramid.

Food Guide Pyramid

1 serving of grain could be :

• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 slice of bread or
• 1 ounce of cereal

1 serving of fruit could be :

• 1 whole fruit, or
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice

1 serving of vegetable could be :

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables or
• 1/2 cup of other vegetables (chopped raw or cooked)

1 serving of meat could be :

• 2 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish
• one egg, 1/2 cup of cooked dried peas or beans and 1/3 cup of nuts are each equivalent of 1 ounce of meat

1 serving of milk products could be :

• 1 cup of low fat milk or yogurt, or
• 1/2 ounce of cheese

This pyramid falls short in 2 areas : fibers and fat. For instance, it makes no distinction between white rice and white bread (which contains little fibre), and whole grain foods like unpolished rice and whole wheat bread ) and whole wheat flour chapati in the case of an Indian diet)which have a lot of fibre.

Similarly Pyramid does not distinguish between high fat (butter, cream) and low fat dairy products) (low at milk or Indian chaas made from low fat dahi)

It also does not seperate typically lean foods like  beans, fish, skinless poultry breast from fatty items like hot dogs and hamburgers, and does not exclude fatty items like fried rice, creamed spinach and french fries.

In general, the food pyramid is a good guide for the whole family, but  do not follow it  blindly.