The Mayo Clinic, a well-known and respected health institution, has several different food pyramids, each representing a different sort of healthy diet. Some are based on actual world diets, such as the Latin American diet or the Asian diet. The Healthy Weight Pyramid is designed to promote excellent health and nutrition.
Serving size
A serving is a reasonable amount of any given food type that might make up part of a meal. For example, an apple would be one fruit serving (maybe two if it were sliced and kept cold), but a pineapple might be several!
Foundation: Fruits and Vegetables
The Healthy Weight pyramid is heavy on fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are all natural and contain a variety of nutrients and vitamins that all people need on a daily basis. The pyramid recommends that everyone eat at least three servings of fruit and four servings of vegetables daily.
Second tier: Grains and Carbohydrates
Many people consume too many carbohydrates: who can resist fresh bread or birthday cake? The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight pyramid recommends no more than four to eight servings a daily. When possible, substitute whole grains for refined ones. A good example would be choosing whole wheat bread instead of white bread or wild rice instead of processed white rice. Why? Whole grains have more nutrients, such as potassium and magnesium, that can be lost when processed, plus they have more fiber.
Third tier: Protein/Dairy
The suggested daily intake of protein and dairy is three to seven servings. Good sources of protein include fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, pork and nuts. Dairy includes milk, cheese and yogurt.
Fourth Tier: Fats
Contrary to what many people once believed, fats are an important part of any diet. Fats include olive oil, butter, lard, margarine and other fatty, greasy foods. Not all fats are created equal: unsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados are best for you, and certain fatty fish such as salmon have Omega-3 acids, which can reduce your cholesterol. Fats that come from animals, such as butter and lard, should be avoided.
Top Tier: Sweets
Everyone likes ice cream, chocolate, candy and other sweet things. But how much is too much? The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid says that sugary sweets should be limited to no more than 75 calories daily. This could mean a significant reduction for some people: to give you an ides, a snickers bar has 270 calories and a fast-food milkshake has 800!
Exercise and Physical Activity
A key component of all of the Mayo Clinic food pyramids is lots of exercise and physical activity, which is just as important as a good diet for health!
Questions? Check out the Mayo Clinic Health and Nutrition Web site!
A healthy diet and exercise are the keys to a happy, fit lifestyle!
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