The Food Pyramid Is it a good guide to healthy eating?

The Food guide pyramid was published by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992 as a way to encourage healthy eating. In spite of this though, it still isn't clear what we should be eating to stay healthy. A study done by the USDA in the '90's showed that over 40 percent of people agreed with the following statement: “There are so many recommendations about healthy ways to eat, it’s hard to know what to believe.” In spite of all the nutritional discoveries made since then, this statement is still true today....

So what's wrong with this picture? The original Food Pyramid showed the relative amounts of each food type we should consume on a daily basis. Starting at the top we have:

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This is completely different from the traditional USDA pyramid... The meat group is at the bottom indicating that this is where a lot of your food intake will come from. There are also no fruits included in the usual fruit and vegetable group! It's generally acknowledged that the Atkins diet is not the healthiest for you, although you will probably will lose weight! The point is - even with the food pyramid you need to interpret the guidelines correctly. Remembering that the original food pyramid guide is basically good and just needs to be refined for your own needs.

So let's modify the original pyramid a little to suit a healthy lifestyle, which would assume you are exercising regularly. One way to do this is to look at your daily calorie consumption. Here is a typical one for a healthy woman:   Food sources Calories Ounces Carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables and fruit 1,100 10 oz Proteins from lean meat or low fat dairy    500 4 oz Fat - unsaturated where possible    400 2 oz Total calories 2,000       By using the food pyramid as a guide you can fine tune your actual diet to meet your daily requirements. Here are some recommended serving sizes: Food sources Serving size Bread 1 slice Rice (cooked) 1/2 cup Fruit - One apple or a banana 1 Veggies (cooked) 1/2 cup Lettuce 1 cup Eggs 1 Meat 4 ozs 1 Olive oil 1 teaspoon   Get our Free  E-book and Newsletter on Tips To Lose Weight   *PRIVACY POLICY- Your Email Is Safe With Us - It will never be sold or rented out, WE HATE SPAM !                            What's your Real Age?                  Take the free test now! Click Here To See If You're Actually Younger Than Your Chronological Age!