Nutrition & Dietary Basics Based on the Dietary Guidelines Presented by the USDA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Mayo Clinic!

Arriving at the perfect weight loss diet, whether it’s to conquer obesity or just to loss a few extra pounds is no quick, simple task in today’s world of fast-paced living.

For example, there are several different educational food pyramid plans.The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a food guide pyramid. And the Mayo Clinic, in conjunction with the May Foundation for Medical Education and Research, has their Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

Note: A list of pyramids are updated regularly at the USDA site at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html

Then there are the lifestyle choices that go along with dietary plans. Lives need to be balanced in order to make the perfect diet effective. Depending upon your body type, history, physical and mental make up and other factors, some dietary solutions are more suitable and/or adaptable than others when working in accordance with day-to-day activities, exercise, nutrition, health, etc.

In this section we will be discussing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food guide Pyramid and the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

USDA Food Guide Pyramid

In a nutshell, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid presents a general outline of which foods to eat daily and it is based on the Dietary Guidelines presented by the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Pyramid recommends eating a variety of foods in order to get the nutrients and calories needed for healthy weight maintenance.

The bottom or the foundation of this pyramid is a recommendation for 6-11 servings of breads, pasta, rice and cereals, also know as the Bread Group. A serving of breads, pasta, rice and cereals would basically reflect the following:

• 1 x slice of bread;
• 1 x ounce of ready-to-eat cereal; and
• 1/2 cup of cooked of pasta, rice or cereal.

The actual breakdown for each age and gender group is:

• For children (ages 2 to 6 years), women and some older adults (around 1,600 calories) - 6 servings;
• For older children, teen girls, active women and most men (around 2,200 calories) – 9 servings; and
• Teen boys and active men (around 2,800 calories) - 11 servings.

The second layer of the pyramid, building upwards, represents fruits and vegetables. It is recommended that 2 - 4 fruits and 3 - 5 vegetables be consumed per day. A serving of fruits and vegetables would basically reflect the following:

• 1 medium-sized fruit such as an apple, orange or a banana; and
• 1/2 cup of chopped, canned or cooked fruit, or three-fourths (3/4) cup of fruit juice.

For vegetables, a serving would be:

• One half (1/2) cup of raw, chopped or cooked vegetables, except for raw, leafy ones that get 1 cup per serving; or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice.

The actual breakdown for each age and gender group is:

• For children (ages 2 to 6 years), women and some older adults (around 1,600 calories) - 3 servings of vegetables and 2 of fruit;
• For older children, teen girls, active women and most men (around 2,200 calories) – 4 servings of vegetables, 3 of fruit; and
• Teen boys and active men (around 2,800 calories) - 5 servings of vegetables, 4 of fruit.

The next layer of pyramid deals with dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, also known as the Milk Group, which includes lactose-free and lactose-reduced milk products. Also on the same layer is the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts, known as the Meat and Beans.

From 2 - 3 servings of the Milk Group and 2 - 3 servings of the Meat and Beans Group are recommended. A serving of both groups would basically reflect the following:

Milk Group

• Choose from 1 cup of yogurt or milk, 1.5 ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese.

Meat and Beans Group

• 2 - 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, fish or poultry;
• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans;
• 1/2 cup of tofu;
• 2 1/2 ounce soy burger;
• 1 x egg;
• 2 x tablespoons of peanut butter or a 1/3 cup of nuts.

• For children (ages 2 to 6 years), women and some older adults (around 1,600 calories) – 2 or 3 servings Milk Group, 2 servings for a total of 5 ounces of Meat and Beans Group;
• For older children, teen girls, active women and most men (around 2,200 calories) – 2 or 3 servings Milk Group, 2 servings for a total of 6 ounces of Meat and Beans Group; and
• Teen boys, active men (around 2,800 calories) - 2 or 3 servings Milk Group, 3 servings for a total of 7 ounces of Meat and Beans Group

At the very top layer of the pyramid is the group of fats, oils and sweets and it is recommended that all items in the Group should be used “sparingly!”

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid

The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid doesn’t differ too much from the USDA Pyramid. It is based upon scientific research and patient healthcare as reported by medical practitioners and dieticians of the Mayo Clinic and by weight-loss experts at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The Pyramid was crafted threefold... to encourage weight loss, weight maintenance and long-term health.

Let’s take a brief look at the Mayo Clinic Pyramid compared to that of the USDA Pyramid.

The bottom two levels of the Mayo Clinic Pyramid are reversed, resulting in the Fruits and Vegetables Group now being at the bottom or foundation level and the Carbohydrates (Bread Group) being placed on the second level.

Also servings for Fruits and Vegetables are unlimited here, with calories are counted throughout.

In a nutshell, to plan the perfect Mayo Clinic diet a person would follow the following 5 steps, as approved by his or her healthcare practitioner:

For more details on this Pyramid go to www.mayoclinic.org

Click here for more information on the nutritional value of various foods. You will find a comprehensive list of fact sheets that provide nutrition information of a wide range of food groups, topics, healthy eating tips and recipes.