The Healthy Eating Pyramid Promotes Healthy Eating Habits

The healthy eating pyramid was prepared by the Harvard Medical School in response to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid which they say is "built on shaky scientific ground" and has been deliberately distorted by the department's requirement to promote local US agriculture, especially local dairy and grain farming.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid is basically the reverse of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and promotes healthy eating habits by giving a graphical representation of the various healthy food groups and is based on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control.

According to the Healthy Eating Pyramid:

1) Whole grain foods should be eaten at every meal as the body needs energy but can't digest whole grain foods quickly. This means energy is released slowly and so you are less likely to feel hungry after eating them and your blood sugar levels are more balanced.

2) Healthy unsaturated fats should be consumed regularly as they are not only another important source of energy but they help to improve cholesterol levels. Some of the best sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive oil, canola, and other vegetable oils. Fatty fish such as salmon are another healthy source of unsaturated fats.

3) Vegetables should be eaten in abundance and fruits should be eaten two to three times per day. The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables are many and include decreasing your chances developing heart disease, protection against cancers and lowering blood pressure.

4) Nuts and legumes should be eaten two to three times per day as they are an important source of protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Many nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pecans also contain healthy unsaturated fats.

5) Fish, poultry and eggs should be consumed one or two times per day as they are important sources of protein.

6) Dairy products or calcium supplements should be consumed one to two times per day. Milk is not the only source of calcium and it contains large quantities of saturated fat which is unhealthy.

7) At the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid is red meats and butter which should be used sparingly as they contain large quantities of saturated fat. Also at the top of the pyramid and to be consumed sparingly are white bread, white rice, potatoes, white pasta, soda, and sweets as they can be easily converted into simple sugars by the body which results in large variations in your blood sugar levels which is very unhealthy.