A New Perspective On Healthy Eating

I recently began looking for a (much) healthier version of the average American's diet in an effort to avoid foods filled with saturated fat, salt, and a host of other harmful chemical additives. Since the government's food pyramid has been so prevalent in society, I decided to start there. I didn't realize that it had been replaced with MyPlate. After studying both diets, I wasn't satisfied.

Among the primary issues with the pyramid may be the recommendation for all of us to consume six to eleven servings of breads, pastas, along with other grain items every single day. Besides research suggesting that's an excessive amount, there's no reference to whole grain products versus refined grains. Another disadvantage would be that the pyramid lumps meat, chicken, seafood, and nuts together despite wide differences in dietary values. Chicken typically has considerably less body fat than meat, some seafood, and nuts. Furthermore, it does not separate the healthy fat in seafood and nuts in comparison to the unhealthy, saturated fat frequently found in most cuts of meat. I additionally believe there to become an excessive amount of dairy at 2-3 portions each day. The top portion of the pyramid lists fats, oils, and sweets, again not separating healthy fats in certain oils and bad fats in sweets. Finally, fat is not actually a food category like meat, nuts, or dairy. It is just confusing to people.

Following a fair amount of criticism in recent years, the government introduced MyPlate in 2011 to replace the food pyramid. Despite the fact that the MyPlate recommendations suggest more nutrition coming from fruits and vegetables, it needs improvements in a variety of sections. The advice still permits half of grains to come from processing (refined) while the meat section does differentiate processed meat like bacon and sausages from purer forms of meat. Finally, healthy fats are nowhere to be found on the plate and my dairy concerns remain unchanged.

Luckily, I found an approach that is considerably more healthy, aptly named the Healthy Eating Pyramid, researched and designed by Harvard faculty. It uses independent research studies and dietary analysis, without the influence of the food industry lobby, which unfortunately appears to apply to the USDA's efforts. Harvard's pyramid makes several crucial enhancements and distinctions in comparison to the USDA's suggestions. First off, in addition to making distinctions from whole grain items and refined grains, the level of refined grains is significantly lowered. The same thing applies to red meat and processed meat. They are separated from seafood and chicken, and recommended to be eaten infrequently.

Harvard's pyramid also consists of sections on healthy oils, nuts, and seeds, distinguishing between healthy (unsaturated) and unhealthy (saturated) fats. Their research suggests either a lower amount of dairy, compared to the USDA's version, at 1-2 portions each day or supplementation with vitamin D and calcium. A multivitamin and daily exercise are also important pieces to the overall philosophy.

Overall, this appears to be a drastic improvement to the government's nutritional recommendations. It is appears to be unbiased and based on legitimate research. If you're looking for a better way, this could be exactly what you're searching for. Good luck!