What is Food Pyramid.?

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Food pyramid

The nutrient imbalance is a major issue in human nutrition due to the modern lifestyle after the industrial revolution. This is a result of imbalanced diet plans which have more or less specific nutrients. As a result, in 1974 Sweden introduced a solution for this via the “Food pyramid”.  


The food pyramid gives the optimum amount of various foods that should be consumed for a balanced diet plan. After the 1974 pyramid, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the second food pyramid in 1992. It’s called the Food Guide Pyramid or Eating Right pyramid. USDA Food pyramid was updated in 2005 as “My Pyramid” and in 2011 as “My Plate”. However, these food pyramids guide you to choose a proper diet for better nutrition. 


There are 6 shelves in a food pyramid. 


  1. The bottom shelf contains fruits and vegetables. The recommendation is to have 5 to 7 servings per day. Fruits and vegetables especially contain Vitamins, Anti-oxidants, minerals with macronutrients. It is better to choose different vegetables and fruits in different colors and different forms (salads, juices)  


  1. The second stage consists of starch foods. Like rice, bread, cereal grains, yams, etc. they produce energy for your body function through cell respiration. The recommendation is to have 3-5 servings per day. They are the main components of your main 3 meals. 


  1. The third shelf contains dairy products such as fresh milk, yogurt, and cheese. Choosing nonfat or low-fat dairy products is better for your health. These products mainly consist of protein. And other nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, Vitamin A, and D are also found in these products. It is recommended to have dairy products for 3 servings per day for adults and five servings per day for teenagers.


  1. The next level is for eggs, meat, and fish. These are highly nutritious and the recommendation is two servings per day.  Beans, nuts are also included on this shelf. however, the consumption of value-added meat products that have a high level of salt is not good for health. 


  1. The fifth shelf contains Fat and Oil, recommended to consume in very little amounts. Use fish oils as animal fat which contains Omega-3 Fatty acids and choose to consume unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids. Better to reduce fat consumption as much as possible. 


  1. The last and top shell contains the food that should be prevented from consumption as much as possible. They are the food that has a higher amount of Fat, Sugar, and Salt. recommended having only once or twice a week.



When considering the “My plate” concept of the food pyramid, it has five main components. They are Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Dairy products, and Protein foods. There are approximate levels for each food type. 


  • Fruits - 10%

  • Vegetables - 40%

  • Grains - 30%

  • Proteins - 20%

With these proportions, the recommendation is to add a glass of milk, yogurt, cheese, like dairy products for daily consumption. 


By - Sajith Pushpakumara

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