The Food Guide Pyramid

Have you ever heard about the Food Guide Pyramid? According to K. Carol and A. Henry in their book ‘The Everyday Meal Planner For Type 2 Diabetics,” the Food Guide Pyramid was established by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide the general public with a tool to maintain a sound, nutritionally sufficient diet.

According to the said authors, the pyramid emphasizes five food groups and also includes a group for foods that are not nutritionally dense, like sugar. The tip of the pyramid is for the group that should be consumed the least (hence, it is the smallest). There are no specific recommendations for this group, which contains fats, oils and sweets. These items should be consumed sparingly. As you progress down the pyramid, the food groups contain nutrient-dense foods that are recommended in order to fulfill your daily needs for vitamins, minerals and fibers.

On the second level of the pyramid, you will see the milk, yogurt, and cheese group as well as the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group. It is recommended that you consume two or three servings per day from the milk, yogurt, and cheese group, and two to three servings per day from the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group. This will ensure that you receive adequate levels of calcium, protein, zinc, and iron.

On the third level, the vegetable and fruit groups are found. It is recommended that you consume three to five servings from the vegetable group and two to four servings from the fruit group. Finally, the base of the Pyramid recommends the foods that should be consumed the most. This group is the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group, for which six to eleven servings are recommended per day. These groups contain vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, which is critical to your digestion.

In summary, the following are the amounts of servings per food group per day that you should consume.

1) Fats, oils, and sweets------------------------------------------sparingly
2) Milk, yogurt, and cheese--------------------------------------2-3 servings
3) Meat, poultry,fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts--------------2-3 servings
4) Vegetables------------------------------------------------------3-5 servings
5) Fruits------------------------------------------------------------2-4 servings
6) Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta--------------------------------6-11 servings

The triangles and squares in the tip of the pyramid represent sugar and fat, respectively. You’ll notice that these symbols are also found in various groups, one example is the group at the base of the pyramid. While it is recommended that you consume grains, some are high in both fat and sugar. While a serving of whole grain bread is healthy, a butter croissant—which is refined and full of fat---is not. Again, you should make yourself aware of the various foods and their respective amounts of fat and sugar.

So what constitutes a food serving? Some examples are given here below:

1) Milk, yogurt, and cheese------------1 cup milk, 1 cup yogurt, 1-1 ½ oz cheese
2) Meat, etc.------------------------------3 oz chicken, 1 egg(1 oz), 1 oz nuts
3) Vegetable-----------------------------1/2 cup cooked or raw broccoli
4) Fruit----------------------------------- 1 small to medium apple, ½ cup of fruit salad
5) Bread, etc.---------------------------1 slice bread, ½ cup pasta, ½ bagel

With the glycemic index in mind, we suggest that you choose whole, unrefined foods whenever possible. There is no question that whole grain bread is more nutritious than a muffin or croissant that has been made from refined grains. We should also note that there are several camps that believe in the benefits of restricting carbohydrates, especially for weight loss. It is up to you, in conjunction with your physician or dietitian, to determine what works best for you. Your emphasis should always be on two essential things: keeping you blood sugars in control and maintaining a nutritionally sound program that provides all the essential nutrients.



(Source: Caron, Kristen, L. and Aaron Henry. The Everyday Meal Planner for Type 2 Diabetes. Mc-Graw Hill. New York, 2002)