What is the Healthy Weight Pyramid?
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is different from the Food Pyramid in that it guides you to the foods that will promote a healthy lifestyle. It shows you a guide to eating where you will not feel hungry and you will get to a healthy weight.
The Pyramid Explained
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid puts sweets at the top, where it is the narrowest, and fruits and vegetables at the bottom where it is the broadest. The Mayo Clinic outlines precise amounts of servings for each of the five categories that are allowed in the Healthy Weight diet program. Following this guideline promotes a healthier lifestyle that has exercise as its key. Leading a non-sedentary lifestyle is the main component of the pyramid and is seen as a circle inside the pyramid.
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid breakdown
Sweets – Up to 75 calories a day
Fats (oils, nuts, etc) – 3-5 daily servings
Protein/Dairy (beans, meat, dairy) – 3-7 daily servings
Carbohydrates (grains, cereal, bread) – 4-8 daily servings
Fruits and Vegetables – unlimited daily servings, with a 3 fruit minimum and a 4 veggie minimum
What is a Serving?
Grains:
1 serving of grains =
1/2 cup of oatmeal or other hot cereal
About 1 cup of dry cereal
1/2 cup of cooked pasta or rice
1/2 of an English muffin
1 serving of bread = 1 regular sized slice
Vegetables:
1 serving of vegetables =
1 cup of leafy vegetables (raw) like lettuce or spinach
1/2 cup of other vegetables (raw or cooked) like carrots or green beans
3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruits:
1 serving of fruit =
1 medium piece of fresh fruit, like an apple, banana, orange, or pear
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit like applesauce or fruit salad
3/4 cup of fruit juice
Dairy:
1 serving of dairy =
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (like cheddar or Swiss)
2 ounces of processed cheese (like American cheese slices)
Meat and Beans:
1 serving of meat or beans =
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1/2 cup of tofu
2 1/2-ounce soy or veggie burger, or 1 egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts
All about the Book
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for Everybody
ISBN # 1-893005-34-8
http://bookstore.mayoclinic.com
$22.95 , softcover
Dr. Donald D Hensrud M.D., M.P.H. – specialist in nutrition
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for Everybody is a 12 step program for a healthy lifestyle change to healthier eating. The 319 page book is an effective weight loss guide plus will give you more energy as you purge excess sugars from your system, replacing them with more nutritious fruits and vegetables. It includes an eating plan with full menus and shopping lists to guide you.
