What’s this?
The food pyramid is a visual guide produced for the public to follow a balanced diet.
Creation Date
In 1992, under the initiative of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and updated in 2005.
The food groups
Seven food groups make up this pyramid. Further back up the pyramid, the less the portions and frequency of consumption of different food groups are important.
- At the top: Limit consumption of butter, red meat, potatoes and especially sugars and desserts.
- Center: Drink in the right quantity, fruits and early vegetables (raw or cooked), the choice should be diversified. And to a lesser extent dairy products, cheese, yogurt, milk, etc …
- At the base: foods made from whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice) and corn, potatoes and pulses, are intended to provide the largest proportion of your daily calories.
Health Partner
For any diet, please refer to these pyramids to eat healthy food! Nothing better than to associate also this mode of consumption in a sport!
Some tips to customize your meal to the Pyramid: Healthy Eating
The principle of the pyramid is straightforward: the bricks of the building are the food groups in which we must draw on a daily basis to ensure coverage in nutrients. More stage or level is large, the more to eat during the day is important. Conversely, there are at the forefront, the “extras” are to be consumed in moderation.
The base of the pyramid consists of boissons.Les roles of water are essential hydration and elimination of waste (uric acid).
The first floor of the pyramid includes cereals: the basis for a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide energy for muscular work and all body cells.
On the second floor of the pyramid, vegetables predominate over fruit. These foods are rich in water, minerals and trace elements, vitamins and dietary fiber. They are low in fat and sucres.Elles are low energy density but high nutrient density. Choose the most colorful is a pledge of a contribution in antioxidants (carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids).
We see that these first two stages alone account for 75% of food volume.
The third floor is shared between the dairy and protein.
These foods are rich in protein to maintain muscle mass during dieting.
In the fourth and final stage: fats, oils, sweets. This is especially salad dressings, cream, butter, margarine, sugar, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts. These foods provide mostly calories and few nutrients. Most people should use them only sparingly.
