Diet Food Pyramid

There has been a lot of talk about the diet food pyramid and what it is as well as how to use it to lose weight. Here, we will discuss the diet food pyramid, explain how it works and give you helpful tips and calorie guides to get the most out of using the diet food pyramid to lose weight and keep it off for good.

The diet food pyramid follows and if used properly for each caloric intake level, will enable users to lose substantial amounts of weight. Using the diet food pyramid you will be enjoy balanced meals and great tasting foods. Serving sizes shown after each food group in the diet food pyramid are for 1200, 1600, and 2000 calorie diets.

Vegetables

Food Serving Sizes: 1 cup chopped raw or cooked vegetable, 1-cup vegetable juice, 2 cups leafy salad greens (3, 4, 5 servings)

Fruits

Food Serving Sizes: 1 cup chopped raw or cooked fruit, 1-cup fruit juice. (2, 3, 4 servings)

Grains

Food Serving Sizes: These each count as 1 ounce-equivalent (1 serving) of grains: half cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 slice bread; 1 small muffin (1 oz); 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes. (4, 5, 6 ounces)

Dairy Foods

Food Serving Sizes: These each count as 1 cup (1 serving) of milk: 1-cup fat-free milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces natural cheese such as Cheddar cheese or 2 ounces processed cheese. (2, 3, 3 cups)

Meats

Food Serving Sizes: These each count as 1 ounce-equivalent: 1-ounce lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; quarter cup cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 Tbsp peanut butter; half-ounce nuts or seeds (3, 5, 5.5 ounces)

Fats/Oils

Maintain your total intake of fats/oils at between 20-35 percent of calories, with most fat coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, such as oily fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. (17, 22, 27 grams)

Discretionary Calorie Allowance

As part of your eating plan if you choose foods with a higher fat or sugar content than those recommended, these extra calories should be taken from your remaining calorie allowance. (171, 132, 267 calories)

If you need to lose weight, do it the healthy way by using the diet food pyramid and get on the fast track to a healthier happier you.

Discuss It!