Eating the right food in the right amount is what keeps a person healthy. The key to stay healthy is having a Balanced Diet. This balanced diet can be achieved by following a Food Pyramid which has various foods mentioned in a proportional amount. This food pyramid emphasizes more on long term eating habit rather than one time meal. To elaborate, food pyramid is a representation of the optimal number of servings to be eaten each day from each of the basic food groups. The first pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974 after which USA developed the food guide pyramid in 1992 which was updated to “My pyramid” in 2005 and was replaced by “My plate” in 2011.
How many different kinds of food should I eat to stay healthy?
Eat the right food
Different food have different nutritional value and hence all nutrients can’t be obtained from single food so for same reason Food pyramid plays a significant role. It shows the types of foods and servings which a person should eat daily to stay healthy. Different food are categorized from base to top depending on how important each food is. We should eat more of the foods at the base than the foods placed at top in the food pyramid.
Eat the right amount
Eating too less or overeating both has its own consequences. The correct proportion of food is important in order to have a balance and stay fit. Under nutrition can cause deficiencies and weakness whereas over indulgence of food may lead to obesity and lethargy. Therefore eat the right amount of food.
How many servings of each of the food groups should we eat each day?
Bread, cereals, Rice: 6 to 9 servings per day
Vegetables: 3 to 5 servings
Milk, yoghurt and cheese: 2 to3 servings per day
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs and nuts – 2 to 3 servings per day
Food high in fat, Sugars and Salt
In all food pyramid comprises of these 5 shelves – a shelf for each food group
What are the advantages of each of these groups?
The Bread and cereals group:
These are the good source of carbohydrates giving energy needed to stay active. They also provide vitamins, minerals iron and fibre content.
The vegetable group:
They provide you with Vitamin A and Vitamin C along with fibre and complex carbohydrates. Also they are the source for minerals like calcium, potassium and Vitamin B. Veggies also help you fight various diseases including cancer.
Fruits supply Vitamin A and Vitamin C, potassium and some minerals to keep skin, eyes and gums healthy. It’s also a good source of fibre. So enjoy fruits as a nutritious snack.
The Milk and yoghurt group:
These are an important food group to keep your bones and teeth strong providing Calcium, Proteins and Vitamin D.
The Meat and Eggs group:
They supply proteins, iron, vitamin B and few minerals for strong muscles and healthy blood.
What about the snack food which we all love to eat?
Small amount of candies, sweets or sugary goods can be eaten occasionally if the basic cereal group food are eaten along, but important point to remember is these food should not be eaten daily. Instead try snacking on food from the food pyramid group.
So what does the Food Pyramid say?
- Eat Most – Grains
- Eat More – Vegetables and fruits
- Eat Moderately – Meat, eggs, fish and alternatives (including dry beans) and milk and alternatives
- Eat Less – Fats , oil, salt and sugar
- Drink adequate amount of fluid (including water, tea or any soups) every day
My plate:
My plate is the current nutrition guide published, depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It’s a revised version of My Food Pyramid.
Conclusion:
You don’t have to get the right balanced food at every meal. It’s okay if you balance it over a whole day or even a week in order to stay healthy and fit.
Highlights:
- Eating the right food in right amount is what keep a person healthy.
- This food pyramid emphasizes more on long term eating
- All nutrients can’t be obtained from single food
- Eating too less or overeating both has its own consequences
- Food pyramid comprises of these 5 shelves
- Snacking on sugary foods daily should be avoided
Authors Bio :
Dr. Madhura Mundada-Shah is a Pediatric Dentist, practicing in Mumbai. She has done her graduation from Sinhgad Dental College, Pune and her Masters in Pediatric Dentistry from KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences, Belagavi. She has a clinical experience of 8 years and has been practicing in Pune and since last year in Mumbai. Her clinic is situated in Borivali (W) and she also visits various clinic in Mumbai as a consultant. She is involved in numerous community health service, she has organized dental camps for children and has attended several National and International conferences and has been awarded for various research work in Pediatric Dentistry. Pediatric Dentistry is her passion as she feels that every child is special and needs a holistic approach for their well-being and maintain a good oral hygiene.
