The Food Pyramid Guide
for Weight Loss
Picture Included

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites


The American Food Pyramid & Its Healthy Food Groups

Our food guide pyramid will keep you in check with the foods that you need to incorporate into your daily diet to achieve optimum fitness.

The following diagram of the food pyramid is based on the food pyramid of the USDA.

For optimum nutrition and quicker weight loss results, it's vital to enjoy balanced meals while losing weight. Let's review those all-important Food Groups housed within the Official Food Pyramid:

Protein Group:

Your body will require protein for muscle health as well as to combat hunger while you are on a weight loss plan. If you opt for animal proteins, remove all visible fat to save calories and fat grams.

Vegetable proteins are an excellent option and include: beans and legumes. Protein sources such as seeds, nuts and eggs also make excellent choices for the dieter. Even peanut butter can fit into a healthy diet plan.

Fruit Group:

Plan to enjoy two to four fruit selections each and every day in your diet; snack times presents an excellent time for healthy fruit.

Grain Group:

You'll need to make at least one-half of your grain selections in the form of whole grain goodness. Enjoy six to eleven servings per day. Selections may include: whole grain bread, whole grain rice, noodles, rice cakes, tortillas - both corn and flour.

Dairy Group:

Choose wisely and opt for reduced fat options. This group is are area where significant fat consumption can be slashed without slashing nutritional values. You'll require two to three servings of dairy per day.


Vegetable Group:

Aim to include a minimum of 3 servings of vegetables and up to five servings.

Mix it up when it comes to colors; ensure that you get plenty of green, yellow and orange vegetables into your daily diet. Carrots, summer squash and spinach all make excellent choices.

Fats & Oils:

Keep in mind that you already get quite a lot of oil in your daily diet from the foods that you eat. Olives, coconuts, peanuts, corn - all of these foods can be used to produce types of oils that we use to cook with in our humble kitchens.

Therefore, keep additional oils to a minimum. This includes salad oils and Mayo.

Recommended Servings:

How many servings that your body requires is based on your current weight and the number of daily calories (energy) that the body requires.

If you are a petite lady, you will probably require the minimum serving recommendations. For a large guy, he will probably require the upper end.

For athletes and construction workers as well as other extremely active individuals, they may require many more servings than recommended below.

Picture of Official Food Pyramid

Picture of Food Pyramid

Weight Charts  |  Weight Chart for Men  |  Weight Chart for Women

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