When one looks over the overwhelming variety of both natural and highly processed foods is available at the market, it become difficult to really understand what will help create a healthy diet. To guide people in picking healthy food items, the US Department of Agriculture has designed the food pyramid. It is a labeled illustration, shaped like a pyramid, which demonstrates groups of essential food types and the quantity in which a normal individual requires each of these foods.

At the base of the food pyramid are such food items that serve as ready sources of energy. These are rich in starch, low in fat, and include cereals, pasta, bread, and different types of grains. By the specifications of the food pyramid, a normal adult individual needs 6 to 11 servings of these items daily. Whole grains are the best and healthiest food of this group. In a single serving of these foods you can include a slice of bread, a cup of cereal flakes, one flat tortilla, and one ounce of rice or pasta. However, many processed foods create packages that appear as single servings but really are 2 or 3 servings. Think about it, how many of us drink a 20 ounce soda alone? That is more than one serving. A slice of bread is a serving, so a sandwich has two servings of the base food group.

As the geometry of the food pyramid shows, vegetables and fruits are required in less quantity than carbohydrates. Normally, a grown person would need 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruits daily. The high fiber content of vegetables and fruits make them ideal food items as fiber keeps the bowel movements in order. In addition, they are both rich in vitamins (required for immunity and general health) and minerals, which ensure the proper functioning of various body organs. Among vegetables, go for more dark green vegetables and try to pick fresh fruits instead of fruit juices. These qualities have found to help prevent many ailments and there is evidence to show help prevent cancer.

Next upper chamber in the food pyramid is occupied by proteins and dairy products. You need 2 to 3 servings daily of each of these foods. Protein comes from lean meat, eggs, fish, beans, and nuts. It is advisable to remove the visible fat on the meat so as to make it a low fat item. Be moderate in using nuts, since they also hold fats. (Peanuts are a legume – not a nut) Among the dairy products, milk has the highest recommendation for a complete diet with most of the required vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Cheese and yogurt are also recommended dairy foods. Try to abstain from high intakes of ice cream and cheese as they are high in fat. These will intefere with healthy weightloss and/or maintenance.

At the top of the food pyramid is the fats, including oils, and sweets. The recommended quantity of these items is limited to sparing use. Butter, cream, oils, candies, margarines etc., are all foods that are not easy to digest and hence should be used in minimal amounts. However, it is an important part of our diet, just as all the other parts of the food pyramid are important as well. Olive oil has been found to have additional health benefits and is recommended as a choice for cooking that requires an oil.

In addition to this recommended array of foods, it is also recommended that one take a daily multivitamin. As our natural resources are farmed and chemical additives for growth and bug repellants are used, our land becomes deprived of natural nutritional elements. This means that our foods nutritional levels are slowly dropping. A study of spinach shows a drastic drop in nutritional value from the same test filed over 30 years.