How to Use the Usda Food Pyramid to Plan wholesome School Lunches For Your Kids

First established by the Usda in the 1960's the food pyramid is a basic shape for healthy eating. The pyramid was chosen since it was recognised that not all foods should be consumed in equal quantities. Therefore eating the allowable combinations of food is principal in order to profess a healthy lifestyle. Using the food pyramid to guide your diet will allow you to:
Provide your body with the allowable nutrients it needs Helps you regulate the number of fat you consume (aids in weight control) Limits your intake of unnecessary fats and sugars

It should be noted that a healthy lifestyle involves more than just diet alone, quarterly exercise is also very important.

The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is composed of four levels, which comprise the 6 basic food groups. These are distributed in the food pyramid as follows:
The base - Composed of breads and grains Second Level - Composed of fruits and vegetables Third Level - Contains milk & dairy, and proteins (meat, poultry, beans & nuts) Top - Made up of fats and oils

The base of the pyramid, being the largest section, is where the majority of your diet should come from. On a daily basis, your diet should consist of 6 - 11 servings per day of grains. Whole grains are the best, since the more processed the grain is, the more nutritional value is lost. Adored foods from this group comprise whole grain breads, cereal, rice and pasta.

The second level, and the next largest part of your daily diet, consists of fruits and vegetables. How many times growing up did your mother tell you to close your vegetables. You should have listened to mom, since you need to consume 3 - 6 servings of vegetables, and 2 - 4 servings of fruits daily. Fruits and vegetables supply your body with fiber, vitamins and the principal minerals it needs. Vegetables with the top nutritional impact are dark in color: such as dark leafy greens, or orange (carrots). Fruit juices are not fruits. They comprise mostly sugar and are of miniature nutritional value.

The milk & dairy, and protein level provides your body with calcium, protein (obviously), iron and zinc. All of which are principal to the formation of strong bones and muscles. You should have 2 - 3 servings daily from both of these groups. When choosing proteins, adopt lean cuts of meat and poultry. Milk (and dairy products) should be either low-fat or fat-free.

The very top of the pyramid, being the smallest section, represents those foods that should be eaten only sparingly since they are of very miniature nutritional value. It is any way possible, to get more out of this group by incorporating selections from the protein group. Fish and nuts comprise the healthier unsaturated fats, which are also found in vegetable oils. Try to avoid the 'bad' (saturated) fats that are found in butter, margarine, shortening and lard.

By using the Usda food pyramid as a guide you can see that a typical meal should be ~35% grains, ~20% vegetables, and ~15% each of fruits, proteins, milk & dairy, with miniature amounts of fats and oil. This basic shape can be used to found a habit of healthy eating.

How to Use the Usda Food Pyramid to Plan wholesome School Lunches For Your Kids