Those who are concerned about their health believe in one simple truth and that is, “Eat well to stay well”. You can plan your daily balanced diet in a number of ways. But the easiest and the simplest way to plan your balanced diet is to plan it through the food pyramid.
So, what is this food pyramid all about? For proper functioning of the body, our body needs to have essential nutrients and the proportionate amount of carbohydrates, proteins and the fats. Carbohydrates provide the primary source of energy for the body. Proteins help in producing the new tissues of the body and also help in building the complex molecules needed for the proper functioning of the complex molecules. Fats help in storing the energy the body needs.
Most of the nutritionists suggest that the right proportion of the nutrients in the body is very important. According to the experts, one half of the daily food consumption should consists of carbohydrates, two tenth of the food consumption should be of proteins and three tenth of the food consumption should consists of fats. For ensuring the carbohydrates in the body, you can rely on the whole grains, vegetables and fruits. But it is better to avoid processed carbohydrates, cakes or cookies or foods that contain plenty of calories.
The food pyramid is the specific food diet that outlines what we should eat every day. This diet ensures the proper balance of the essential nutrients and helps in devising a diet plan, which can keep you fit and healthy. The food pyramid divides the five major food groups to four categories and helps in ensuring the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, fats and calories to maintain proper health and weight.
Each of the group contains some of the nutrients that our body needs. No group can singly manage all the important nutrients for the body. Rather each group is important. To ensure the healthy and balanced diet, you will need to take all of them. The most needed foods constitute the base of the pyramid. The necessary carbohydrate is gained from the grains and cereal-based food grains from the base of the pyramid. These foods provide our body with carbohydrates, fiber and minerals. The most important servings of the day will contain foods from this group. There will be 6 to 11 servings of these foods a day where one serving is equal to a cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal. While taking the food, you should remember that the whole grains are good for stabilizing the blood sugar. It can lower the risk of blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.
The second group contains the fruits and the vegetables. You should take two to four servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables. Sufficient amount of Vitamin C rich foods like kiwi, strawberry, cherries and Vitamin A rich foods like the carrots, spinach and cantaloupe should be ensured in the food diet.
The third group of the food pyramid constitutes the food value that mainly comes from animals. Meat, fish, poultry, milk, dairy products all come under the group. Meat, fish and poultry contains protein, iron, zinc and calcium for the body. The foods in this section of the Food Pyramid come mostly from animals. Meat, fish and poultry have plenty of protein, and so do dry beans, eggs, and nuts. These are rich in protein, the B vitamins, iron and zinc, while dairy also provides calcium. You should take 1 cup of yoghurt or whole milk, one egg, 1.5 ounces natural cheese to fulfill the daily nutrient needs. Generally, you need to take 2-3 servings of food from this group. The last food group of the pyramid contains the oil, cream, sugar, margarine, canola oil, walnuts, flax seeds, etc. You should take four to five servings of meal from this group to ensure a balanced diet.
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