![]() |
| Click to enlarge |
| harvard.edu |
The eggheads at Harvard University's School of Public Health have cooked up the latest iteration of the food pyramid, and it is based on exercise.
Not that dietary and medical researchers are suggesting you eat your gym shoes, but rather found your healthy diet on daily activity, burning calories to keep everything you do put in your face in balance. Unlike past food pyramids or food group structures, this is "based on the latest science, and unaffected by businesses and organizations with a stake in its messages ... the Healthy Eating Pyramid is a simple, trustworthy guide to choosing a healthy diet."
The new pyramid ignores grams and servings, instead painting, in broad strokes, what we're supposed to be eating. Plants, in the form of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats like olive oil, and whole grains are the basis. Smaller amounts of nuts, seeds and tofu share equal footing with fish, poultry and eggs. Dairy does receive a serving suggestion of 1 to 3 servings a day, or calcium and Vitamin D supplements can be substituted. "American staples" like refined grains, red meat, butter, potatoes, salt and sweets end up in the point of this pyramid, branded with the dreaded "use sparingly" advisement.
Lingering in the pyramid's front yard is alcohol in moderation (for some), as well as multivitamins. Though vitamins have been getting Amy Winehouse-like bad press recently, Harvard's Dept. of Nutrition includes them as an insurance policy.
A plant-based diet seems to be the last word in nutrition. Though the Harvard certainly knows a thing or two about a thing or two, I'm still holding out for research that reveals the four vital food groups to be champagne, butter, bacon and chocolate.
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008





