Food Guide Pyramid

Because no one single food can provide all the nutrients you need, you should consume a number of different foods each day. The Food Guide Pyramid is a tool that helps you do just this by helping you to balance food choices, to select a variety of different foods, and to eat foods in moderate portions. This pyramid helps put the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into practice by emphasizing the importance of eating a combination of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lower-fat dairy products, and lean meats daily.

Foods that are made from grains (wheat, rice, and oats) form the basis for a healthy diet. In addition to supplying a vast collection of vitamins and minerals, these foods add fiber and other essential nutrients to the diet. Grain products are also typically low in fat, unless fat is added during preparation or when served at the table.

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in addition to grains each day is the best way to get started on a plan for healthier eating. Here you can begin to incorporate complex carbohydrates into the diet. Complex carbohydrates or foods that are primarily high in starch and dietary fiber add great nutrition benefits to the diet. Dietary fiber, sometimes called roughage, is not a nutrient as such, but refers to the substances in food that resist digestion. The amount of fiber in a food is based on the type of plant source it originated from and also depending on how it was processed. Highly processed foods offer less fiber than those that are less processed.

There are two distinct types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Plant foods often contain a mixture of both types. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in water and will dissolve or bulk up in hot water. Foods

containing soluble fiber are fruits, vegetables, and grains, including prunes, pears, apples, oranges, legumes, dried beans and peas, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, brown rice, oat, and corn bran. These foods tend to add bulk and thickness to the contents in the stomach upon digestion, thus making a person feel more full and satisfied after eating them.

Dieters often are encouraged to consume many sources of these fibrous foods because these foods tend to fill up a person up more quickly and decrease appetite, thus resulting in less food eaten overall. Soluble fiber is also known to lower blood cholesterol levels and improve blood glucose levels of individuals with diabetes.

Fiber acts like a sponge by absorbing water that softens stools and reduces incidence of constipation. Fiber is helpful in weight management and reduction in that it helps provide a sensation of fullness by actually slowing the emptying time of the stomach. Fibrous foods are also usually low in fat and calories.

A high-fiber diet can be beneficial in health as well as in weight reduction. Here's how you can build up your fiber intake:

Along with contributing fiber, fruits and vegetables contribute different nutrients to the diet as well. Some may be excellent sources of vitamin A, like dark green leafy lettuce, whereas others may be high in vitamin C, like oranges and other citrus fruits. Most fruits and vegetables also offer the benefit of being low in fat and high in fiber. Your best shot at consuming the required amount of fruits and vegetables each day would be to aim for five a day—five total servings.

• Top cereals or yogurt with berries or sliced fruit.
• Grate carrots or zucchini and add them to casseroles, quick breads, rice, and pasta dishes.
• Spread pizzas with a variety of vegetables.
• Try different types of fruit and vegetable juices (cranberry, papaya, mango, tomato).
• Substitute half of the margarine in homemade bread, muffin, and cookie recipes with applesauce, mashed bananas, or pureed prunes.
• Add extra toppings (shredded carrots or zucchini, sliced cucumbers or tomatoes) to sandwiches.
• Make stir-fry meals.
• Pack fresh and dried fruit for car trips.