Veggie Pyramid

Perhaps you’ve heard of the food pyramid, the nutritional guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services that provide recommendations for sensible daily eating. But maybe you didn’t know that there’s a modified pyramid for vegetarians.

The vegetarian pyramid is similar to the one for meat-eaters and consists of six food groups. Here they are, in order of their recommended servings and their place in your diet:

* The base of the pyramid is the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group, which should make up the greatest number of servings and calories of your daily diet. It is recommended that you eat six or more servings from this group; a serving could include a slice of bread or 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal.

* Vegetables: Three to five servings daily are recommended. One serving could include 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables, or three-fourths cup of vegetable juice.

* Fruits: Two to four servings daily are recommended. One serving could include a medium-size apple or other fruit, a cup of berries or one-half cup of canned or cooked fruit.

* Milk, yogurt and cheese: Three servings daily. A single serving could include 1 cup of milk, yogurt or calcium-fortified soy or rice milk a day, or one-half cup of cottage cheese.

* Dried beans, eggs, nuts and seeds: Two to three servings a day. A serving could include one egg, or two egg whites, or one-half cup of tofu, beans or lentils. This is the only portion of the vegetarian’s food pyramid that differs from the traditional pyramid. It replaces, of course, the meat, poultry and fish food group.

* Fats, oils and sweets. This group is at the top of the pyramid, which indicates that it should be a minimal part of your diet. The foods in this group contain--as if you didn’t know--lots of calories and little food value. Vegans--those who exclude from their diet eggs and dairy foods, as well as meat, poultry and seafood, might want to talk to their health care provider about their diet. Supplements might be in order, as might cereals and soy products that are fortified with calcium, iron and B vitamins.

Source: StayWell Co.