Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My Personal Food Pyramid

Yeah it's Friday! Yes, to me it's Friday because I get tomorrow off, but before you get jealous I then I have to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday as usual. But either way, Wednesdays are always good days.

Kalli, from Fit and 40 Something, recently wrote a blog titled, "My Pyramid of Success". I loved this post and thought it would be a great idea to write one of my own. Generally speaking, I live by the following mantras/guidelines/rules/philosophies (either word works!):



1) Eat to live, don't live to eat.
(Do this 90% of the time, the other 10% of the time, live to eat!)



2) There is no such thing as a bad food, only bad food patterns.


3) Always plan meals/snacks around vegetables and/or fruits.


I like to follow a modified Mediterranean diet, which means I like to use meat/poultry and other animal proteins as a garnish (such as the picture below, which is my egged spaghetti squash creation).




My own personal pyramid sort of resembles the pyramid below, which I took from iStockPhotos (I was too cheap to buy it, hence the giant iStockPhoto!)


So the picture above describes my pyramid in a photo, but listed below is a bit more detail. I've listed the "food groups" (I've sort of created my own groups) in descending order according to how many ounces I eat each day. I have the name of the macronutrient (carbohydrates, protein, fat) listed underneath the food group, followed by an estimate of how many ounces I eat each day. Hopefully this will help educate everyone as to what is found in each of the food groups. For example, many people assume carbohydrates are only found in bread and pasta, but as you'll see they are actually found in fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains.




FRUITS AND VEGGIES (including beans and tempeh)
(carbohydrates and sometimes protein)
40-56 ounces; equivalent to 5-7 cups, per day

(tempeh sloppy joes!)



Dairy/Dairy Alternatives
(carbohydrates (lactose) and protein)
10 ounces yogurt, 8 fluid ounces almond milk
; equivalent to a little over 2 cups, per day





fish, egg whites, eggs, beef, chicken, pork
(protein)
~4-5 ounces; equivalent to a little more than a deck of cards, per day


Whole Grains
(carbohydrates and protein)
4-5 ounces; equivalent to ~ 5 pieces of regular sized bread, per day



Oils/nuts/seeds
(fat in all, protein in nuts and seeds)
~ 1-2 ounces; equivalent to 6 tsp. oil, or 3 T nut butter or 1/2 cup nuts





Supplements
Everyday: Fish oil, multivitamin, vitamin D
Every other day: magnesium and B12
~2 weeks before my period: 600 mg calcium, and a magnesium every day



Sweets and beer
(carbohydrates)
~ 12 ounces beer 3-4 days per week
A small dessert just about every day (homemade low-fat ice cream and a piece of 85% dark chocolate)


As you may notice this does not exactly follow the USDA guidelines, but what can I say? This works for me! I feel great and I enjoy every single thing I eat. Isn't that the best "diet plan"?

QUESTION: What are some food rules/mantras/guidelines you live by? What would your pyramid look like?

23 comments :

  1. This is such a great post. Can't beat advice from a true professional!

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  2. Love this post and have also thought about doing a similar post! I saw it awhile ago in a magazine! I definitely focus on F and V most! I take the same supplements as you too! Although I just ordered some news ones that I will blog about soon! I think my next heavy emphasis is on whole grains and healthy fats!

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  3. That is pr! I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, fat free yogurt, lean meat and whole grains.

    I rarely eat anything fried but I do still eat a little butter and some bacon but usually a lowerfat one. Try to stay away from cured meats and processed foods.

    I gave up on trying to be 100% perfect with my diet! That just set me up for failure. I do my best and so far it's working.

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  4. oh this was fun! and i think i go really med diet too! hahaha i didn't know thats what it was but pretty much every one of my meals is topped with a protein as the du jour piece. does that make me a med-girl? hahaha anyways i keep meaning to tell you that the fod is working out amazing! i don't follow it SO STRICT but i've completely stopped with the onions and garlic and i think that makes a huge difference anddd my stomach can't handle dairy at alllll but i still rebel with cottage cheese from time to time hahaha

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  5. Love your "eating philosophy!!" I agree--as long as you LOVE what you eat, and eat healthy 80-90% of the time, you're good to go :) Stressing over it too much isn't healthy!!

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  6. I like your guidelines! I think my pyramid would look very similar to yours. I build my meals around veggies but always add some protein (often beans or egg whites). I truly love the foods I eat, and I allow for occasional treats. Oh, and I do enjoy beer or wine a few times per week! :)

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  7. I always love learning more about your dietary habits! So informative, and fun too! I completely agree about making fruits and veg the focus... Do you have any tips on how to incorporate more veg into lunch/snacks at work? I've noticed recently that I take mostly fruit to work, and I'd like to start taking lots of veg as well, so I'm curious about tips for transporting/prepping methods for snack/lunch veggies... :-) Especially at my new job, where I often have no real lunch break, just little standing-snacks throughout the day! :-) (I too stand at my desk instead of sitting - yay standing!! :-)

    P.S. Sorry for the rather stream-of-consciousness nature of this comment... :-)

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  8. Personally, I believe that if you eat clean 90% of the time you can indulge a little and you'll be just fine.

    BTW, Gina, have you done any post on coconut milk. I just started buying some from Silk and love the taste. I'm lactose intolerant and it's a godsend to find another option besides soy-oh, and it's yummy.

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  9. Enjoy today off! Too bad the weather isn't nicer, but it doesn't look like the weekend will be any better :(

    I loved this post! I was just thinking last night about beans and how they can arguably go into one of several food groups and how I don't always agree with where they end up.

    And once again, I soooo need to try tempeh. I don't know why, but I am yet to do so!

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  10. i love this gina! i like the idea that you use the meats etc as a garnish-great description :)

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  11. Love it!! So much better than the food plate silliness.

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  12. Mine would be similar to yours Gina.
    Veggies
    protein (eggs, seafood, soy products, poultry and beef in this order)
    whole grains (rice and corns, almost only corns recently)
    oil/nuts
    chocolates

    I like a lot "There is no such thing as a bad food, only bad food patterns." So true!

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  13. Mine would be similar to yours Gina.
    Veggies
    protein (eggs, seafood, soy products, poultry and beef in this order)
    whole grains (rice and corns, almost only corns recently)
    oil/nuts
    chocolates

    I like a lot "There is no such thing as a bad food, only bad food patterns." So true!

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  14. Egged spaghetti squash!? Brilliant, I love it. :)

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  15. I love your #2! Just thinking quickly here; my pyramid would be very bottom heavy with fruits and veggies, the middle part would be grains (quinoa, brown rice, WW bread) and the top would be *very* skinnky (ppointy maybe) with meats, eggs, etc.....Not sure where the dairy would fit in b/c I don't really do milk/yogurt and the such very often. Hurts my belly!

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  16. Fantastic recommendation of food and fruit, definitely well presented and they all look like really healthy options.
    vimax reviews

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  17. Great food philosophy! I think it's great for everyone to have their own pyramid that's individual.

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  18. Great food philosophy! I think it's great for everyone to have their own pyramid that's individual.

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  19. I love the beer inclusion. It shows there's a place for pleasure and that our choices are personal. Great advice here. I like planning meals and snacks around produce. I include produce in all of my meals but like that you give it the #1 spot. My pyramid would have a place for cocktails and caffeine.

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  20. I like this contemplation a lot---I think everybody should make their own pyramid! That would be helpful in getting people to improve their habits too, wouldn't it? Hmmmm...I might try and implement this in one of my nutrition classes.

    I function best on very little sugar, pseudograins instead of grains, minimal nuts/seeds, and seafood....with my tons and tons of veggies :)

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  21. I love YOUR pyramid. I think learning what works for oneself and incorporating basic tenants of nutrition - for sure is what is best. Understanding the basics (and practicing healthy eating habits) allows for creativity and some tweaking to fit your personal needs (supporting your mind, body AND spirit). Right on!!

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  22. Hi Gina, excellent post, thanks so much!!!

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  23. I love the "Eat to live" motto because so many people, even myself, get caught up in the opposite. Food is primarily fuel, and we should fuel our body with healthy nourishment. But sometimes recipe development and chocolate treats necessitate the occasional "living to eat," which is always fine in moderation!

    And I'm loving all the spring/summer produce to plan my meals around! Can't wait to hear how the burgers turned out for you.

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