The Healthy Eating Food Pyramid
Balanced diet is a key to stay healthy. Follow the "Healthy Eating Food Pyramid" guide as you pick your food. Grains should be taken as the most. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Have a moderate amount of meat, fish, egg, milk and their alternatives. Reduce fat/ oil, salt and sugar. Trim fat from meat before cooking. Cook with low-fat methods such as steaming, stewing, simmering, boiling, scalding or cooking with non-stick frying pans. Also reduce the use of frying and deep-frying. These can help us achieve a balanced diet and promote health.
How much of different kinds of food should I eat to stay healthy?
Eat the Right Food
Since different foods have different nutritional values, it is not possible to obtain all the nutrients we need from a single food. According to the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid, we have to eat a variety of foods among all food groups as well as within each group in order to get different nutrients and meet our daily needs.
Eat the Right Amount
Neither eating too much nor too little is good for our health. Every day, we need a specific amount of nutrients to maintain optimal health. If we do not eat enough, malnutrition or symptoms of nutrient deficiency are likely to develop. In contrast, excessive intake can result in over-nutrition and obesity. Therefore, we have to eat the right amount of food to stay healthy.
- Eat Most - Grains
- Eat More - Vegetables and fruits
- Eat Moderately - Meat, fish, egg and alternatives (including dry beans) and milk and alternatives
- Eat Less - Fat/ oil, salt and sugar
- Drink adequate amount of fluid (including water, tea, clear soup, etc) every day
- Grains: 1.5 - 3 bowls
- Vegetables: at least 1.5 servings
- Fruits: at least 1 serving
- Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 1.5 - 3 taels
- Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
- Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
- Fluid: 4 - 5 glasses
- Grains: 3 - 4 bowls
- Vegetables: at least 2 servings
- Fruits: at least 2 servings
- Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 3 - 5 taels
- Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
- Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
- Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
- Grains: 4 - 6 bowls
- Vegetables: at least 3 servings
- Fruits: at least 2 servings
- Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 4 - 6 taels
- Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
- Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
- Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
- Grains: 3 - 8 bowls
- Vegetables: at least 3 servings
- Fruits: at least 2 servings
- Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 5 - 8 taels
- Milk and alternatives: 1 - 2 servings
- Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
- Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
- Grains: 3 - 5 bowls
- Vegetables: at least 3 servings
- Fruits: at least 2 servings
- Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 5 - 6 taels
- Milk and alternatives: 1 - 2 servings
- Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
- Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
Food Exchange List:
1 bowl of grains is equivalent to:
- Cooked rice, 1 bowl
- Cooked rice noodles, 1 bowl
- Bread, 2 slices
1 serving of vegetables is equivalent to:
- Cooked vegetables, 1⁄2 bowl
- Raw vegetables, 1 bowl
1 serving of fruit is equivalent to:
- Medium-sized apple, 1 piece
- Kiwifruit, 2 pieces (small-sized)
- Fruit cuts, 1⁄2 bowl
1 tael of meat is equivalent to:
- Cooked meat, 4-5 slices
- Egg, 1 piece
- Firm tofu, 1⁄4 block
1 serving of milk and alternatives is equivalent to:
- Low-fat milk, 1 cup
- Low-fat cheese, 2 slices
- Low-fat plain yogurt, 1 pot (150g)
Remarks
- 1 tael is approximately equivalent to 40 grams (raw meat).
- 1 bowl is approximately equivalent to 250-300ml
- 1 cup is approximately equivalent to 240ml
- The above recommendations are intended for healthy individuals only. Those with chronic diseases and specific nutritional needs should consult their family doctors and dietitians for individualised dietary recommendations.
FAQs
The DASH pyramid has a base of fruits and vegetables (8 to 10 servings/day) and grains (preferably whole grains, 7 to 8 servings/day) at level 2. Level 3 is shared by low-fat dairy (2 to 3 servings/day) and seafood, poultry, and lean meat (0 to 2 servings/day).
How should the Food Guide Pyramid be used to plan a balanced diet? ›
The DASH pyramid has a base of fruits and vegetables (8 to 10 servings/day) and grains (preferably whole grains, 7 to 8 servings/day) at level 2. Level 3 is shared by low-fat dairy (2 to 3 servings/day) and seafood, poultry, and lean meat (0 to 2 servings/day).
What is the Food Guide Pyramid and MyPyramid? ›
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid and MyPyramid
The Food Guide Pyramid was a recognizable nutrition tool that was introduced by the USDA in 1992. It was shaped like a pyramid to suggest that a person should eat more foods from the bottom of the pyramid and fewer foods and beverages from the top of the pyramid.
What is a balanced diet and a food pyramid? ›
The food pyramid represents the balance, variety and moderation with which it is necessary to consume food. It emphasizes the consumption of cereals, vegetables and fruits as a basis for eating and maintaining health 22. These foods are the basis of healthy diets, low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium.
What is food pyramid pdf? ›
The food pyramid is the scheme we refer to most in order to know the proportions of foods recommended for consumption. It is a pyramid divided into "layers", each corresponding to a category of foods and the respective quantity.
What is the Food Guide Pyramid quizlet? ›
What is the Food Guide Pyramid? The Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It's not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet. It calls for eating a variety of foods to get needed nutrients within the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight.
What is the balanced diet chart? ›
7 Days Balanced Diet Chart
| Days | Breakfast | Dinner |
|---|
| Day 1 | Bowl of oats + Glass of milk | Brown rice + Dal + Green salad |
| Day 2 | Omelette stuffed with veggies + Glass of milk | 2 multigrain Roti + Dal + Salad |
| Day 3 | Namkeen Dalia + Fruit | Brown rice + Dal + Salad |
| Day 4 | Moong dal Cheela + Glass of milk | 2 Roti + Dal + Salad |
3 more rowsThe Food Pyramid is a visual representation of how different foods and drinks contribute towards a healthy balanced diet. The Food Pyramid allows individuals the flexibility to choose foods and drinks from each shelf depending on their food preferences.
What is the MyPyramid diet plan? ›
MyPyramid recommends daily amounts for each food group. For example, for a 2,000- calorie diet, you need to eat the amounts below from each food group: Grains: Eat 6 ounces every day Vegetables: Eat 2 1/2 cups every day Fruits: Eat 2 cups every day Milk: Have 3 cups every day. Meats & Beans: Eat 5 1/2 ounces every day.
What are the 7 things you need for a balanced diet? ›
By having an idea of the balance in your diet, it should be easier to enjoy food and be healthy. There are seven essential factors for a balanced diet: carbs, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water. The rough percentage of daily calories that should come from each factor is shown in Table 10.
8 tips for healthy eating
- Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates. ...
- Eat lots of fruit and veg. ...
- Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish. ...
- Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. ...
- Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults. ...
- Get active and be a healthy weight. ...
- Do not get thirsty. ...
- Do not skip breakfast.
The Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to: eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see 5 A Day) base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta. have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
Which food should you eat less if you are trying to follow the food pyramid? ›
Food and drink high in fat, salt and sugars
High fat, salt and sugar food and drink tends to have lots of calories and with little nutritional value and we don't need it as part of a healthy balanced diet. If you do want to include this kind of food in your diet, do it less often and in small amounts.
How can the food pyramid help a nutrition diet? ›
It shows the different food groups and how much of each we need to have a healthy diet. Eating the right amount from each food group is called eating a "balanced" diet. Eating well is important for all of us. In the short-term, it can help us to feel good, look our best and stay at a healthy weight.
How do you say food pyramid help individuals eat a healthy diet? ›
A food pyramid helps individuals eat a healthy diet by providing guidance on the types and proportions of food to consume for optimal nutrition. It is a visual representation of the different food groups and recommended quantities to be included in daily meals.
How can the Food Guide Pyramid help you? ›
Let the Food Guide Pyramid guide you so that you get the nutrients your body needs each day. Make grains, fruits, and vegetables the foundation of your meals. This forms a base for good nutrition and good health and may reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases.
How does the arrangement of the food pyramid convey its message of a healthy diet? ›
Foods at the bottom of the pyramid are larger to show that larger portions are included in a healthy diet. Explanation: The arrangement of the food pyramid conveys its message of a healthy diet by showing that foods at the bottom of the pyramid should be consumed in larger portions as part of a healthy diet.
