The Vegetarian Food Pyramid
This vegetarian food pyramid comes from the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. Loma Linda, California is one of the "blue zones" of the world, a place where elders live beyond 100 in good health. It is home to the Seventh Day Adventists, a vegetarian community for more than 130 years. Here's the Vegetarian Food Pyramid: 5-12 servings of whole grains 1-3 servings of legumes and soy 3-4 servings of fruit 6-9 servings of vegetables 1-2 servings of nuts and seeds 0-2 servings of vegetable oils 0-2 servings dairy 0-1 servings eggs sweets taken sparingly More Guidelines: a variety of plant foods in abundance emphasis on unrefined foods healthy fat intake with nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives plenty of water regular moderate exercise Moderate sunlight exposure for Vitamin D What is a serving in the vegetarian food pyramid? 5-12 servings of grains sounds like a lot. But it's actually easy to get this amount because the serving sizes are small. We are used to super sizes from restaurants. But food scientists don't supersize everything! Here is what the serving sizes look like: For whole grains, one serving is: l slice of bread 1 cup dry cereal 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta 6 inch tortilla 1 small roll or muffin 3-4 crackers For legumes and soy, one serving is: 1/2 cup cooked beans 1/2 cup soy products, like tofu, tempeh 1 cup soy milk For fruits, one serving is: 1 medium apple, banana or orange 1 cup blueberries 1 cup chopped fresh fruit 3/4 cup fruit juice 1/4 cup dried fruit For vegetables, one serving is: 1 cup raw leafy greens (salad) 1/2 cup chopped raw vegies 1/2 cup cooked vegies 3/4 cup vegie juice For nuts and seeds, one serving is: 1/2 cup nuts or seeds like almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds 2 tbsp sesame butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or tahini For Vegetable oils, one serving is: 1 Tbsp plant oils 1/4 cup avocado 1 Tbsp salad dressing 2-3 olives For dairy, one serving is: 1 cup low fat milk or yogurt 1/2 cup low fat cottage or ricotta cheese 1.5 ounces low fat fresh cheese For eggs, a serving is: one whole egg or 2 egg whites Sweets are allowed in small amounts, like 1/2 cup ice cream. That's pretty small. I used to eat a pint at one sitting. hmmm. What about B-12? B-12 is only in animal foods and is needed to build strong nerves and blood. B-12 stores in the body, but after a year or two without B-12, you could get anemia, weakness, forgetfulness, or nerve damage. It's important to get your B-12. B-12 is not in tempeh or spirulina. They may have B-12 analogs, something that imitates B-12. So if your are vegetarian, you need a B-12 supplement. Or fortified foods. Some soy, rice or almond milk brands are fortified with calcium and B-12. Be sure to get enough calcium, iron, zinc and protein. Choose dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds for calcium, iron, and zinc. The vegetarian food pyramid recommends 1-2 servings of beans and 1-2 servings of nuts and seeds. This will give you good vegetable protein. If you follow vegetarian food pyramid, you are getting what you need to stay healthy. It takes some conscious planning, but it's a positive choice for you, our earth and her animals. Food for thought: "You vote with your fork. Now only what foods you want to eat but what kind of world you want to live in --Marion Nestle
|
