What is the food pyramid?
It’s a simple visual guide designed to make healthy eating easier. Foods containing the same nutrients are grouped on each shelf of the Food Pyramid. This gives you a choice of different foods to choose from for a healthy diet.
Eating healthy is about getting the correct amount of nutrients – the fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins and minerals you need to maintain good health. Using a food pyramid as a tool to follow different dietary guidelines is a good start in the right direction. It will help you get the right balance of nutritious foods within your calorie range. A healthy diet includes more foods from the base of the pyramid than from the higher levels of the pyramid.
Food pyramid for Grade 3
1) Foundation layer
This class includes all the alkaline foods we have discussed so far. It includes green vegetables, fruits and some grains.
This layer makes up about 70%-75% of what we eat. Eating a plant-based diet is the healthiest. It is important to ensure that this layer makes up the majority of our diet. So why are plant foods so important? This is because it contains tons of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Not only that, these foods are the main sources of fiber and carbohydrates in our diet.
According to actual research, a plant-based diet plays a very important role in preventing some of the leading killer diseases in the Western world. It was also found that diet may be more effective than medication and surgery.
Some examples include lowering blood pressure, reducing your chances of having a stroke or heart attack, and protecting against cataracts.
Carbohydrates are needed by the body mainly for energy. Some of the best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, barley, and oats.
2) Middle class
This layer includes yogurt, cheese, milk, fish, eggs, poultry, nuts, and seeds. Foods in yogurt, cheese, and milk provide us with the nutrients we need for strong bones and growth such as protein, calcium, minerals and vitamins.
There are other food groups included in this class – non-dairy foods. For example, cereals, soybeans and rice. However, these foods are high in calories. So better go for low-fat products in the grocery store to save a few inches around your waist!
Another essential food group in this class is the protein-rich group. You can’t skip this food group because it’s important to get enough protein in your diet to promote healthy growth.
Examples of foods high in protein are meat, fish, eggs, poultry, and seeds. What’s more, you can also get an additional source of other nutrients like zinc, iodine, iron, and vitamins (especially some of the B vitamins). Animal foods in this group also contain vitamin B12, and some contain omega-3 fatty acids.
3) Top layer
This class includes healthy fats that we need in small amounts each day to maintain a healthy heart and brain. The top level of the food pyramid includes your non-essential foods like fats, oils, and sweets. This is the only level of the pyramid that should be restricted. These foods only provide calories with little or no nutrition. There are no catering guidelines for this level, and you should generally try to avoid foods that are high in fat or sugar.
It’s important to cut back on unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fats and choose only foods that contain healthy fats. Some examples of healthy fat sources include seeds, nut oils, extra virgin olive oil, and avocados.
