We all struggle with finding out the nutritional values of
what we eat on a daily basis. It can be a little complicated to keep track of
all the different types of food items we consumer every day and their
nutritional contents. Food pyramid can be of help with this daily-life
confusion. The charts made available by the U.S Department of Agriculture are
easy to understand and offer a great deal of information that can help you
manage your nutrition intake.
According to Sandra
Meyerowitz, who is a professional nutritionist and nutritional coach, “The look
of the food pyramid has changed”. It is a lot easier to understand than it used
to be in the past. The improved version of the food pyramid is introduced to
make things easier, according to her. She also adds, “People can take a quick
look and understand without going into much details, The stripes on the pyramid
are of varying widths, and that’s to represent that you need more of some foods
and less of others.” It is so because
you can easily differentiate between the thicker strips for grains, vegetables
and fruits, and thinner stripes for oils and meats. It can help the readers to
differentiate the healthier options from the ones that are supposed to be eaten
less often.
You should also keep in
mind that the food pyramid is supposed to be an indicator of what is good and
what is relatively bad, you are not supposed to make any strict dietary
regulations out of it. Meyerowitz says that, “The pyramid is based on the
average adults, it doesn’t take into consideration special dietary concerns or
children.”
How to Use the Food
Pyramid
You can look up for the daily total quantities for all food group on the food pyramid because of its easier and improved format that allows you to divide the amounts of your food with accordance to your dietary needs. You can get familiar with all of the various types of food groups in the food pyramid which will help you to calculate your daily nutrition intake more quickly. Experts suggest that you should divide your meal into quarters of different food groups. Reserve one half for vegetables, a quarter for proteins and the last part for whole grains. Fruits can be accommodated as a side dish or a dessert. According to Meyerowitz, “It's an easy way without using any calculations or measurements to know you're on the right track. The hallmarks of good nutrition are balance, variety, and moderation.”
You can look up for the daily total quantities for all food group on the food pyramid because of its easier and improved format that allows you to divide the amounts of your food with accordance to your dietary needs. You can get familiar with all of the various types of food groups in the food pyramid which will help you to calculate your daily nutrition intake more quickly. Experts suggest that you should divide your meal into quarters of different food groups. Reserve one half for vegetables, a quarter for proteins and the last part for whole grains. Fruits can be accommodated as a side dish or a dessert. According to Meyerowitz, “It's an easy way without using any calculations or measurements to know you're on the right track. The hallmarks of good nutrition are balance, variety, and moderation.”
