A while back, I set out to find a healthier way of eating than the standard American diet, which is laden with fat, sodium, sugar, and a variety of dangerous chemicals. I thought a good place to start would be the USDA food pyramid, which had been ingrained into my brain from an early age. After studying it as well as its successor, MyPlate, I was left unfulfilled.
Amongst the principal concerns using the pyramid might be the recommendation for all of us to consume 6-11 servings of breads, pastas, together with other grain products each and every single day. Not only is that an excessive volume of grains, there is no reference to whole grain items versus refined grains. Yet another disadvantage would be that the pyramid fails to separate meat, chicken, seafood, and nuts in spite of having entirely distinct nutritional profiles. Chicken commonly has significantly less saturated fat than meat, cold-water seafood, nuts and seeds. moreover, it doesn't separate the healthier fat in seafood and nuts in comparison to the unhealthy fatty foods regularly found in meat. I also think there is an excessive volume of dairy at 2-3 portions every single day. Why do humans need to drink the milk product of some other animal? uppermost section of the pyramid, which contains fats, oils, and sweets also fails to separate essential fats in some oils and undesirable fats in sweets. Additionally, listing fat like it's a food category like meat is confusing.
Following a fair amount of criticism in recent years, the government introduced MyPlate in 2011 to replace the food pyramid. Despite the fact that the MyPlate recommendations suggest more nutrition coming from fruits and vegetables, it needs improvements in a variety of sections. The advice still permits half of grains to come from processing (refined) while the meat section does differentiate processed meat like bacon and sausages from purer forms of meat. Finally, healthy fats are nowhere to be found on the plate and my dairy concerns remain unchanged.
Thankfully, I came across a better way. It's called the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by Harvard University based on legitimate nutritional research without influence from the food industry lobby, something that cannot be said for the USDA's efforts. Harvard's pyramid makes a number of key improvements and distinctions compared to the USDA's recommendations. First, not only are there distinctions made between whole grains and refined grains, the quantity of refined grains is significantly reduced. The same thing goes for red meat and processed meats. They are separated from fish and poultry, and recommended to be eaten sparingly.
Harvard's pyramid also consists of sections on healthy oils, nuts, and seeds, distinguishing between healthy (unsaturated) and unhealthy (saturated) fats. Their research suggests either a lower amount of dairy, compared to the USDA's version, at 1-2 portions each day or supplementation with vitamin D and calcium. A multivitamin and daily exercise are also important pieces to the overall philosophy.
Overall, this appears to be a drastic improvement to the government's nutritional recommendations. It is appears to be unbiased and based on legitimate research. If you're looking for a better way, this could be exactly what you're searching for. Good luck!
Amongst the principal concerns using the pyramid might be the recommendation for all of us to consume 6-11 servings of breads, pastas, together with other grain products each and every single day. Not only is that an excessive volume of grains, there is no reference to whole grain items versus refined grains. Yet another disadvantage would be that the pyramid fails to separate meat, chicken, seafood, and nuts in spite of having entirely distinct nutritional profiles. Chicken commonly has significantly less saturated fat than meat, cold-water seafood, nuts and seeds. moreover, it doesn't separate the healthier fat in seafood and nuts in comparison to the unhealthy fatty foods regularly found in meat. I also think there is an excessive volume of dairy at 2-3 portions every single day. Why do humans need to drink the milk product of some other animal? uppermost section of the pyramid, which contains fats, oils, and sweets also fails to separate essential fats in some oils and undesirable fats in sweets. Additionally, listing fat like it's a food category like meat is confusing.
Following a fair amount of criticism in recent years, the government introduced MyPlate in 2011 to replace the food pyramid. Despite the fact that the MyPlate recommendations suggest more nutrition coming from fruits and vegetables, it needs improvements in a variety of sections. The advice still permits half of grains to come from processing (refined) while the meat section does differentiate processed meat like bacon and sausages from purer forms of meat. Finally, healthy fats are nowhere to be found on the plate and my dairy concerns remain unchanged.
Thankfully, I came across a better way. It's called the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by Harvard University based on legitimate nutritional research without influence from the food industry lobby, something that cannot be said for the USDA's efforts. Harvard's pyramid makes a number of key improvements and distinctions compared to the USDA's recommendations. First, not only are there distinctions made between whole grains and refined grains, the quantity of refined grains is significantly reduced. The same thing goes for red meat and processed meats. They are separated from fish and poultry, and recommended to be eaten sparingly.
Harvard's pyramid also consists of sections on healthy oils, nuts, and seeds, distinguishing between healthy (unsaturated) and unhealthy (saturated) fats. Their research suggests either a lower amount of dairy, compared to the USDA's version, at 1-2 portions each day or supplementation with vitamin D and calcium. A multivitamin and daily exercise are also important pieces to the overall philosophy.
Overall, this appears to be a drastic improvement to the government's nutritional recommendations. It is appears to be unbiased and based on legitimate research. If you're looking for a better way, this could be exactly what you're searching for. Good luck!
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If you would like to learn to eat healthier, please see my webpage at FDA why are processed foods bad or Dangerous Food Additives Preservatives
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