Food pyramid
Basically, food pyramid is a guide explaining your daily nutritional level. In 1992, first food pyramid was designed to replace oldest food classification system. Unfortunately, today plenty of people are suffering from obesity because of lack of exercise and rubbish food. Food pyramid is like basic synopsis with detailed intake of daily food intakes. It also includes section for amount of daily exercise requirements.
Food groups
Food pyramid is divided into four food groups and they are as follows:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Dairy products like cheese, yogurt and milk
- Fish, meat, eggs, nuts, poultry, peas and dry beans
- Wheat and grain products
Food pyramid for children
Food pyramid for children is more accessible because things are explained via different geometrical patterns and colors. Things are also explained by using thin and fat patterns. For example section of grains, vegetables and fruits are large. This section is large and thick at bottom of pyramid and as you go up it becomes extremely thin for other sections. Food pyramid also encourages kids to have different colors food to get high nutrition. According to it, children should have each color food daily. It is believed that in such graphical representation of food, children can easily understand its nature.
Italian food pyramid
The Italian food pyramid was designed by US department of agriculture food pyramid. It aims at Italian diet or Mediterranean diet. Actually, food pyramid was deigned to change the growing heart disease trend and other major diseases because of bad diet and bad nutrition especially in US. In US people have more tendencies to eat fast food and skip essential vitamins from vegetables and fruits. Basically, its main concentration is on Mediterranean diet such as plant origin. Its emphasis is not only on vegetables and fruits but also on eating more grains, nuts, olives, olive oil, send and legumes. All these things are packed with minerals and vitamins. It also emphasizes to add shellfish and fish in your diet.
Diabetic food pyramid
Basically, diabetic food pyramid is linked with lifestyle. Its framing credit goes to American Diabetic Association and American Dietetic Association. This food pyramid includes primarily recommended foods for diabetics which are rich in protein and carbohydrates contents. It includes fruits, vegetables and grains with starch. Starchy grains are placed at the base of the food pyramid. There can be 6 to 10 serving of these foods in a day. Whole-grains such as brown rice, pasta, brawn cereal are rich is fiber and nutritious. Fruits and vegetables are placed at the 2nd level of food pyramid. There can 3 to 5 servings of this group in a day. Milk and meat is placed at the 3rd level and its serving is limited to 2 to 3 times a day. Alcohol and sweets are strictly restricted for diabetics. This group of food is placed at the top level of food pyramid.
Japanese food pyramid
Japanese food pyramid is similar to original food pyramid but the difference is only that it deals with the Japanese food. All of the grains are included in the bottom section of pyramid. Then there is a section for vegetables with 3 to 5 servings and a section for fruits with 2 to 4 servings. Going up there is a section for dairy products and then there is a section for meat. The last section includes sweets, fats and oils which is only used as sparingly.