Chapter 4 Vol 2
The 3 Layers Of Food Pyramid
1) The Foundation Layer
2) The Middle Layer
3) The Top Layer
1) The Foundation Layer
This layer consists of all the alkaline food we’ve discussed up to this point. It includes green vegetables, fruits and certain grains.
This layer makes up around 70% of what we eat. Eating a plant-based diet is the healthiest. It is important to ensure that this layer occupies the most part of our diet. So why are plant food so important? This is because it contains tons of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Not just that, these food are the primary source of fibre and carbohydrates in our diet.
According to a significant convergence of evidence, the plant-based diets play a very important role in the prevention of some top killer diseases in the Western world. It is also found that the diet could be more effective than medication and surgery.
Some of the examples include lowering blood pressure, decreasing the chances of having a stroke or heart attack and guard against cataract.
Carbohydrates are needed by the body mainly for energy. Some of the best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, barley and oats.
2) The Middle Layer
This layer consists of yoghurt, cheese, milk, fish, eggs, poultry, seeds and nuts. Food in the yoghurt, cheese and milk provide us with essential nutrients for strong bones and growth such as protein, calcium, minerals and vitamins.
There are other food groups included in this layer – The non-dairy food. For instance, cereal, soy and rice. However, these food are calorie-dense. Thus, it is better to go for the low-fat products in the grocery stores to save a few inches around your waist!
Another essential food group in this layer is the protein-rich group. You cannot ignore this group of food as it is absolutely necessary to have adequate protein in your diet to promote healthy growth. Examples of protein rich food are meat, fish, eggs, poultry and seeds. Moreover, you can also get additional source of other nutrients such as zinc, iodine, irons and vitamins (especially some B group vitamins). The animal food in this group also contains vitamin B12 and some contain omega-3 fatty acids.
3) The Top Layer
This layer includes healthy fats that we need in little amount every day to maintain a healthy heart and brain. The top level of the food pyramid consists of your non-essential food such as fats, oil and sweet. This is the only level of the pyramid that should be restricted. These food provide only calories with little to no nutrition. There are no serving guidelines for this level and you should generally try to avoid food that are high in fat or sugar.
It is important to cut down on the unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fat and only choose food that contain healthy fats. Some examples of healthy source of fats include nut, seed oils, extra virgin olive oil and avocados.
