Food Pyramid

The new food pyramid provides a handy way to make sure your family gets the nutrition they need, no matter the pace of life. Many of us have our plates full, so to speak, with a merry-go-round of tasks and activities that keep us on the run. Sometimes it's easy to forget that a proper diet is necessary to keep us going. Each family member may have a different schedule and gathering everyone around the dinner table may seem next to impossible.

Does this sound like your family? Do you fret over your teen grabbing a frozen snack and calling it dinner?Let's take a look at how easy it can be to ensure good nutrition. The food pyramid is divided into five major categories: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats. We'll offer suggestions on working these essentials into the daily fare with nary a complaint.

Grains encompass many of the staples we all have on hand in our cupboards. Food pyramid guidelines recommend the inclusion of whole grains, such as whole wheat, rolled oats and brown or wild rice.

Try whole wheat pita bread for the lunch box sandwich. A baggie loaded with whole-wheat crackers in a mix of nuts and raisins makes a delicious and nutritious snack. Use rolled oats for a batch of oatmeal cookies.

Fruits provide essential vitamins as well as dietary fiber. Fresh fruits that are in season are at the peak of flavor and are less expensive than out of season choices. Pop a fresh peach in the lunch bag. Make your own granola mix with a liberal sprinkling of dried fruits. Fruit and yogurt make a tasty dessert or breakfast smoothie. Homemade fruit pie is always welcome.

Vegetables hold a prominent spot on the food pyramid and are easy to make into subtle dietary stars. As possible, choose fresh vegetables in season. Put them in pilafs, dinner salads, omelettes or casseroles. A plate of whole grain crackers, celery, carrots and cheese cubes with dip on the side makes a triple hitter for the food pyramid priorities.

Dairy products are excellent sources of calcium. Cheese, yogurt, calcium-fortified juices and soy beverages offer good alternatives for the lactose intolerant. A sprinkling of shredded cheese adds a dose of calcium to a dinner salad or layered into a sandwich. Encourage the kids to reach for a glass of milk or soy beverage instead of a soda.

Meats are best for your health when they are lean. Chicken breasts, fish and pork chops rate high on the food pyramid, as good sources of protein, while being low on fat. Vegans can keep their protein intake up with tofu, veggie-burgers, beans and nuts standing in for meats.

Use these tips to get nutrition on your family's meal agenda. A quick glance at the food pyramid components can inspire healthy menus and snack items to keep you on track with good eating habits. Bon Appetit!

 

More about great diets and healthy food !

  • Low Cholesterol Diet Example
    Low cholesterol diet example is the ideal tool for helping people to create a healthy eating plan
  • Basic Food Groups
    All of us have seen a basic food pyramid at one point or another, but few people really remember the importance of the basic food groups
  • Daily Food Diary
    A daily food diary is something that you would use to keep track of the portion size of each food along with calorie count
  • All Natural
    Some products out there say that they are all natural, but they really are not
  • Detoxification Diets
    Detoxification diets can work wonders for your health, but only if you go about it right
  • Low Calorie Recipes
    It makes sense to combine low calorie recipes with regular physical activity
  • Low Acid Coffee
    After a week of drinking only low acid coffee I did notice some improvements with my acid reflux. I was not getting heartburn nearly as often, and when I did it was not as severe
  • Nutritional Supplements
    Taking the right nutritional supplements can make a big difference - a lot of people think that all nutritional health supplements are good for everyone
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits
    Aside from being a wonderful addition to our everyday cooking supplies apple cider vinegar benefits us in many ways
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
    Adopting an apple cider vinegar diet into your regimen is the ideal approach for weight loss that does not involve stimulants or diet pills
  • Garlic Supplements
    Garlic supplements have become increasingly popular over the past several years
  • Health Food Store
    If you've never shopped at a health food store it's a new and fun experience. You'll find the produce section contains only organically-grown fruits and vegetables
  • List of High Fiber Foods
    A list of high fiber foods is the ideal tool for making sure that these nutrients are in great supply in your diet plan
  • High Fiber Diet Plan
    One great benefit of a high fiber diet plan is that it will keep your system moving
  • Complete Carbohydrate Food List
    For all eating plans, a complete carbohydrate food list will help you on your way
  • Low Carbohydrate Food Lists
    How to use low carb food lists to your good health advantage
  • Low Carb Recipes
    If you are not familiar with low carb recipes you probably should be - after all believe it or not you cook them every day
  • Low Carb Tortillas
    There are a few things to remember when you want to add low carb tortillas to your diet regime. You have to find ones that are truly low carb, and they must fall in with where you are in your diet
  • Low Carb Soup
    Learning about low carb soup in fact opened a new world of possibilities for everyone
  • Low Carb Diet Plans
    This type of diet is very popular now, because people who are trying to lose weight have discovered how effective low carb diet plans really are
  • Low Carb Breakfast
    In general, the standard low carb breakfast starts with eggs
  • Low Carb Bar
    The design and nature of the low carb bar is the secret behind its success
  • Low Carb Fast Food
    Believe it or not, you can find low carb fast food! Sometimes, it is just a simple matter of modifying an existing meal.
  • Low Carb Success Stories
    Capsules of cinnamon and turmeric helped reduce his blood sugar. This is truly the mother of low carb success stories.
  • Carb Counter
    Anyone who is on a low carb diet will need a good carb counter, at least when they first start out
  • 3 Day Diet
    If you are going to get on a 3 day diet program, one thing to consider is what kind of exercise to do to supplement your dieting
  • Food Additives
    Food additives have their place though, just be smart about which ones you eat. You should understand why they are in the food and what they are for
  • Organic Products
    Organic health food stores have been around for a long time, but the number of organic products has greatly increased in recent years
  • Benefits of Green Tea
    Many people in the West are seeking alternatives to caffeine based beverages and look to the benefits of green tea . This tea is a traditional part of daily life in several countries, including China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Korea and the Middle East
  • Diets for High Cholesterol
    In most cases, if it’s only moderately high the physician will suggest one of the diets for high cholesterol
  • Diet to Lower Cholesterol
    A diet to lower cholesterol need not deprive your taste buds!
  • Lemonade Cleansing Diet
    Fad diets come and go, but there are some approaches to weight loss that seem to stick around - one of those is the lemonade cleansing diet
  • Seafood Recipes
    Exist many seafood recipes
  • Salad Dressing
    The possibilities of salad dressing is limitless
  • Potato Soup Recipes
    Potato Soup Recipes are Versatile and Budget Friendly!
  • Potato Salad
    Potato Salad is very popular in different parts of the world, usually served as a side dish or accompaniment
  • Organic Baby Food
    Organic baby food is the best alternative to avoid preservatives, nitrates, artificial pesticides, additives and coloring
  • Microwave Baked Potato
    Make a hearty, nutritious meal of a microwave baked potato
  • Successful Diets
    All of the elements of successful diets are of the common sense variety - for successful diets, what you need most is motivation
  • Chinese Cooking
    Expand your culinary expertise with Chinese cooking
  • Chinese Food
    Chinese food is popular across the world, especially in the United States, the UK, Australia and Western Europe
  • Healthy Cooking Recipes
    For a better lifestyle, healthy cooking recipes are important
  • High Protein Diet Plan
    You don’t have to go on the Atkins diet to enjoy the benefits of a high protein diet plan
  • Lettuce Wraps
    If you are on any type of low carbohydrate diet, you should know how to make lettuce wraps
  • Nutrition Articles
    The advice you find in nutrition articles seems to be different from what you find elsewhere
  • Advanced Nutrients
    There are some who will benefit from advanced nutrients in many forms
  • Chai Tea
    Chai tea can be enjoyed hot or cold, morning or evening, summer or winter
  • Cayenne Pepper
    Cayenne pepper - a spicy seasoning with therapeutic effects
  • Cayenne Pepper Diet
    One must before trying the cayenne pepper diet: consult your physician
  • Junk Food
    Since we live in the age of cyberspace, you'd better believe that you can find any and all sorts of junk food just by hopping on the web
  • Fast Food
    It would seem that fast food has gotten a bad rap in the last ten or twenty years, and that is not without good reason
  • Fast Food Calories
    It seems that if you opted in for all those fast food calories, you'd notice that your clothes no longer fit
  • Fruit And Vegetable
    Many people know that they should keep it up when it comes to eating both fruit and vegetable
  • Bell Pepper
    Cooking and storing tips for bell pepper, a powerhouse of nutrients
  • Weekly Dinner Menus
    Planning weekly dinner menus saves you money as well as time spent shopping
  • Bacteria And Yogurt
    Bacteria and yogurt is a great way to remedy health problems when they come up
  • Cellulite Diet
    While there may not be a specialized cellulite diet, a program which aims to reduce overall body fat may have you shopping for a new bathing suit soon!
  • Fish Oil Supplements
    Fish oil supplements offer loads of benefits
  • Food Addiction
    A food addiction is like any other though, in the way that it can be very harmful to the person who has the problem
  • Foods High In Vitamin K
    Leafy green vegetables are one of the foods high in Vitamin K, particularly the dark green varieties such as kale and spinach
  • Weekly Meal Planner
    Anyone who has had medical issues like heart disease or that has diabetes could benefit from having a weekly meal planner as well
  • Spiced Tea
    When most people think about spiced tea, they actually think about spiced chai tea, but few people really understand the full potential of this drink
  • South Beach Diet
    The South Beach Diet is much like any other type of diet plan. You must learn about it in order to do it right and to get the most from it.
  • Low Fat Diet
    You can find low fat diet cookies, and they will be low fat, but they also have a lot of sugar to make up for the loss of taste
  • Low Fat Soups
    Low fat soups to keep you warm and healthy in the winter
  • Apple Pie Recipes
    You can find many great apple pie recipes in a variety of places. You may think about finding them in cookbooks, and there are many great ones out there
  • Bacon Wrapped Scallops
    Should you doubt the success of bacon wrapped scallops served as a special dish, just go online - you'll find there are numerous websites which will ship this delight straight to your doorstep
  • Banana Bread Recipe
    There are hundreds of banana bread recipes to be found online and it's hard to find a cookbook that doesn't have one such recipe
  • Buffalo Meat
    Although it is hard to figure out where to buy buffalo meat, if you can, you really should try it.
  • Burger King
    I guess what I like about Burger King is that the meat seems to have a better taste than the others
  • Casserole Recipes
    Though casserole recipes are often more complicated than putting something in the crock pot, they are still easier than most meals
  • Cheese Platters
    When it comes to most informal types of parties and other gatherings, you can usually count on cheese platters being among the many food options available
  • Cook Steak
    First, how do you choose a steak? When you cook steak that's thinly cut, it tends to be drier and lose flavor, because it cooks so quickly
  • Cream Soups
    Cream soups lend themselves well to almost any meats and vegetables, with the exception of beef. Chicken, fish, seafood and pork are all good candidates in a creamy broth
  • Curry Spices
    The cook was kind enough to tell me about curry spices, and point my way to an Indian grocery store
  • Easy Camping Recipes
    Finding easy camping recipes is one of the keys to really enjoying your trip in to the great outdoors
  • Easy Entertaining Recipes
    Finding easy entertaining recipes is all a matter of knowing your audience. For all but the swankiest soirées, you don't really need to prepare anything too fancy
  • Food Allergy Recipes
    Figuring out food allergy recipes can be pretty daunting when you are first diagnosed with food allergies, but if you keep in mind a few simple principles, it is eminently doable
  • Food and Wine
    Picking out the right food and wine is absolutely crucial if you want your date to go well
  • Free Baby Product Samples
    Many of the websites for free baby product samples will give you lists of different companies offering these perks, making it easier for you to sign up for multiple offers using links from a single web page
  • Italian Food
    On the surface of it, Italian food is pretty simple. Italian recipes draw from a fairly small list of ingredients
  • Jamaican Cuisine
    Tourists going to Caribbean islands are in for a treat and Jamaican cuisine, whether home cooked or in restaurants, prides itself on fresh ingredients and tasty flavors
  • American Food
    When most people think of American food, they picture pretty basic offerings
  • European Recipes
    For taste and health, take a page from European recipe books
  • Japanese Food
    Japanese food has many devotees in the West - japanese restaurants are common and sushi features in lunch boxes
  • Lemon Pepper Chicken
    The outstanding virtues of lemon pepper chicken include its economy, nutritive value, ease of preparation and great taste
  • Mexican Food
    For people that like their meals colorful and spicy, nothing beats Mexican food
  • Norwegian Recipes
    Norwegian recipes may include a short list of seasonings, but they are fit for a King in taste
  • Norwegian Cookies
    The Norwegians are masters at the art of baking and Norwegian cookies are a mainstay in the culinary culture

Can't find what you're

looking for?  

Try Google Search!