BUILDING A FOOD PYRAMID

“What you eat now is certainly important for what you’ll become”

THE FOOD PYRAMID

The food pyramid is defined as a graphic intended to illustrate the principles of good nutrition

with fruits and vegetables on the bottom representing the bulk of a healthy diet and fats and

oils at the top. An example of a food pyramid is a graphic used to illustrate good eating habits.

The food pyramid is designed to make healthy eating easier. Healthy eating is about

getting the correct amount of nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals you

need to maintain good health.

Sohn (2004) stated that “You have two choices. You can eat whole-grain rice, a big

heap of steamed broccoli, and a grilled skinless chicken breast or you can have French fries, a

cheeseburger, and a chocolate milkshake. Which meal would you choose?”. These are the sorts

of choices that you will need to make a few times each day for an incredible remainder.

In a nutshell, healthy eating involves:

Plenty of vegetables, salad, and fruit

• A serving of wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta, and rice at every meal

• Some milk, yoghurt, cheese

• Some meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.

• A very small amount of fats, spreads, and oil

• A very small amount or no foods and drinks in high fat, sugar, and salt

SUPPLEMENTS

If you eat a varied and balanced diet, then there is normally no need to take any food

supplements – you will get everything you need from your food. The one exception to this is

folic acid. All women of child-bearing age who could become pregnant should take a

supplement of 400μg (micrograms) folic acid each day. If a woman does become pregnant, she

should continue to take the supplement during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.