The Healthy Living Pyramid
The
Healthy Living Pyramid encourages food variety and a diet of minimum fat,
adequate fibre, limited salt and sufficient water that is balanced with
physical activity. The ‘Move More' base of the Pyramid shows moving legs to remind
us that physical activity is an essential part of the energy balance equation
that should be combined with healthy eating.
Move More
Every time we move we use up some of the kilojoules
(or calories) that are in the food that we eat. The kilojoules that we do not
use up will be stored and changed to fat. ‘Move more’ reminds us that we need
to balance the energy (kilojoules) that we take in with the energy we use. We
eat daily so we need to be active daily.
Eat Most
This base layer of food includes only plant foods:
vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried peas, beans and lentils, breads and cereals . These foods contain many different nutrients and
should make up the bulk of the food we eat. Eating a variety of these foods each
day should provide good amounts of energy from carbohydrate, as well as
protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre.
Foods in the middle of the Pyramid include fish, lean
meat, eggs, chicken milk, cheese and yoghurt. Eating a serving of
meat, fish or eggs and three servings of dairy foods each day will provide
protein, minerals and B vitamins.
Eat in Small Amounts
Sugars and fats are in this layer. These foods
should be limited because they lack a good supply of the nutrients needed for
growth, good health and quick energy. While small amounts of fats, oils and
sugar are acceptable, larger amounts of these foods will cause an inadequately
varied food intake. When choosing fats and oils it is better to choose the ones
that have low levels of saturated fat and higher levels of omega -3 fats. The
Pyramid also suggests that salt should not be added to foods.
Healthy Drinks
