The Healthy Eating Pyramid

There are many food pyramids to guide our diet, and one of the best is the Healthy Eating Pyramid.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid was created by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Walter Willet, the department chairman, has written about the pyramid in his book, Eat, Drink and be Healthy. This book is really quite good; it makes nutritional research understandable.

In his book, Dr. Willet criticized the the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)food pyramid, which he says is inaccurate, misleading and not healthy!

The problem with the USDA pyramid, says Dr. Willett, is that it was built on outdated research and reflects corporate interests more than human health. The Department of Agriculture is supposed to promote the agricultural industry, so how can it be critical of meat, dairy and refined grain products? The USDA is heavily lobbied by the food companies to keep their products looking good to the public.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid, Dr. Willet says, is scientifically solid and not influenced by agribusiness or the food processing industry. And the Healthy Eating Pyramid is based on recent research showing the importance of healthy fats and whole grains.

Here are the details of the Healthy Eating Pyramid. You may wish to draw or imagine a pyramid shape, then fill in the tiers from the bottom up. The bottom tiers are daily food and important in the diet and the top tier is less healthy.

Tier 1: Exercise and Weight Control

This is the foundation that supports everything. We are made to move.

Tier 2: Whole Grains(at most meals)/ Plant Oils: canola, soy, olive, corn, sunflower, and others

Here we see the importance of healthy fat. Fat is right next to whole grains and forms the foundation of the diet. However, there is no mention of the fact that most plant oils are highly refined, and corn, soy and canola oils are usually genetically modified. So while the pyramid is correct to emphasize whole grains, it fails to emphasize cold pressed oils over refined and genetically modified oils

Tier 3: Vegetables, in abundance/ Fruits, 2-3 servings a day

Good advice. I like that vegetables are in abundance, and fruit has a limit. Too much fruit gives the body too much sugar, and many folks need to be cautious with fruit.

Tier 4: Nuts, Legumes 1-3 servings a day

The healthy eating pyramid recognizes that beans and nuts are good daily food and boost the protein intake. Legumes includes tofu and tempeh. This is your vegetarian protein section. Here's more info about soyfoods

Tier 5: Fish, Poultry, Eggs, 0-2 servings a day

This is the gentle proteins, those without lots of saturated fat. Red meat is not included in this list. According to Dr. Willet, the research still shows that saturated fats raise cholesterol and may contribute to heart disease. Saturated fat is the bad guy, according to this plan.

Tier 6: Dairy/Calcium Supplement, 1-2 servings daily

We know how important calcium is for the bones, so there is a tier devoted to calcium intake. But bone health is more than calcium; we need magnesium, boron and other minerals to have calcium absorbed by the body.

Is dairy so wonderful? Conventional dairy is of poor quality, pasteurized and often full of hormones. Dairy is also a common allergen, producing congestion and digestive distress in many. So I would lke to see more options for calcium listed, like greens, nuts, seeds and sea vegetables.

Learn about calcium rich foods here

Use Sparingly:

Red meat and butter, refined grains: white rice, bread, and pasta, potatoes, sugary drinks and sweets, salt.

So here is our meat and potatoes, our burger and fries! Red meat and butter are not recommended because they contain saturated fat, and potatoes are shunned because they raise blood sugar just as quickly as refined sugar does.

Not all nutritionist agree that saturated fat is the dietary villain. Some claim that raw butter is very healthy with its high vitamin A and D content. Others enjoy health benefits from the saturated fat coconut oil, which promotes weight loss, supports the thyroid and boosts immunity! The story on saturated fats is not complete.

Extra Tips:

The pyramid also recommends alcohol in moderation, "if appropriate". Research shows that while alcohol helps the heart, it may promote breast and other cancers.

A daily multivitamin is also recommended. I think whole foods supplements are better than synthetic, isolated supplements. The body prefers whole foods and whole systems. Super foods like barley greens, spirulina and nourishing herbs like nettles are some ideas for supplements.

What about Quality?

While this healthy eating pyramid is a good guide, it does not address many quality issues. What about refined fats vs. cold pressed fats, or organic vs. conventional produce, or free range meats vs. hormone filled, antibiotic beef? I suppose that the Harvard School of Public Heath does not want to take on the whole agricultural industry! But someone must....It's up to us consumers to be aware of all the quality issues.

Dr. Willet says our understanding will continue to evolve as scientists collect and analyze more data. But researchers are still relying on data from people eating a diet from the conventional grocery store. Quality foods are hard to find in the local grocery store, which have 90% processed and packaged foods!

How about some research comparing fresh foods and packaged foods, or a whole foods organic or local diet to the standard grocery store fare? Now that would be interesting!