LET’S BUILD YOUR PYRAMID
1) The foundation for success of this eating plan is daily physical exercise. Work within your own limitations
but incorporate some activity every day. No couch potatoes allowed.
2) Breads Grains and Starches - Include daily choices from the grain group. Select whole grains as much as
possible. Whole grains provide your body with much needed fiber. When selecting a bread look for the
label to say 100% whole grain or look for the first ingredient to be a whole grain such as whole grain wheat
or oats. Check the nutrition label for grams of fiber. For breads and rolls, 2-3 grams of fiber per serving is
good. For cereals, the range is much broader, with some cereals providing more than 10 grams of fiber per
serving. A bowl of high fiber cereal in the morning is an easy way to get almost half of the recommended
daily amount of fiber, which is 20 to 35 grams.
TRY SOME NEW THINGS!
TRADITIONAL CHOICES
Potatoes
NEW CHOICES
Try sweet potatoes- higher in fiber and beta carotene-bake like you would
bake a white potato- a delicious change
Try wild or brown rice-higher in fiber with the natural goodness of whole
White rice
grain- a nuttier tasting rice that is easily substituted for white rice
Try using whole-wheat pasta or vegetable pastas for a change. For an
Pasta
oriental flair, try rice noodles.
Try bulgur- this is cracked wheat that has been partially cooked. Often
used in salads like tabouli, it can also be used as stuffing for vegetables
like tomatoes and green peppers.
Try millet-a mild, very digestible grain. Use as a bed for sautéed
vegetables and chickpeas or as a stuffing with applesauce.
Try quinoa- higher in protein than other grains. It expands to 4 times its
volume when cooked use in grain salads, as stuffing for zucchini or
tomatoes, in enchiladas or fajitas.
Cereals like cream of wheat, Try whole-wheat farina, spelt flakes, or "Kashi" cereals
corn flakes, oatmeal, shredded
wheat or bran flakes
3) Fruits, Beans and Legumes & Vegetables - Include a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and
vegetables daily. Use fresh fruits as the daily dessert and save your high calorie desserts for
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special occasions. Select seasonally fresh and locally grown fruits and vegetables whenever
possible. Experiment with some new fruits and vegetables. Walk through the produce
section of your favorite store and try something you’ve never had before. The staff in the
produce departments is usually good resources for serving what you have selected. Try
adding some beans like kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans etc. to your cooked
vegetables, salads, pasta or rice dishes. Don’t be shy – add a couple different kinds. Try
some beans that you’ve never had before.
HERE ARE SOME IDEAS
Leeks
Kohlrabi
Aragula,
Radicchio,
Romaine, Red
Leaf, Spinach
Spaghetti squash
Mango
Kiwi
Star fruit
These look like large green onions. Wash well, slice or chop and use them in soups,
vegetable dishes or casseroles. They taste similar to onions but they are milder and
sweeter.
This is a root type vegetable. The tops can be cooked like most greens (hold the bacon).
Peel the bulb, slice it and eat it raw or chop it up and add to soup just before serving for a
zesty crunch.
These are just a few of the greens available at the grocery store, not to mention some of
the salad blends in bags. Try some of these the next time you make salad. Most of these
are also higher in fiber and nutrients than Iceberg Lettuce. If Iceberg is your favorite, try
mixing some of the newer greens with it.
This big yellow member of the squash family is a tasty treat. Cut it in half, scoop out the
seeds, place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Scrape
a fork on the inside flesh to create spaghetti like strands. Top with your favorite marinara
sauce and some fat free shredded mozzarella cheese for a light meal or side dish.
This tropical fruit is high in vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of potassium.
Available fresh and dried, mangos can be great in fruit salads, chicken salads and stirfries.
These brown little fussy fruits are best when they are slightly soft. If they are hard when
you purchase them, let them ripen on your counter. To eat them you can either peel them
with a knife and slice them or you can cut one end off and spoon the green flesh out for a
quick snack.
when sliced these fruits look like the shape of a star. They are yellow when ripe and
somewhat soft. Trim off any brown that may be at each point of the star. They have a
mild citrus hint with a unique flavor. Great by itself or as a finishing touch to a fruit dish.
4) Low fat and non-fat cheese and yogurt – Cheese and yogurt may be consumed daily. It is best to select
the lowest fat options since the fat from dairy foods is a saturated fat. Be a smart consumer and read the
labels. Some low fat cheese has 7 fat grams per ounce, which isn’t much lower than regular cheese at 9
grams of fat per ounce. Try cheese that has 0-3 grams of fat per serving. There are many choices for low
fat and non-fat yogurt. Try selecting one of the new dessert flavors for your dessert.
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Have you ever tried Tofu Cheese? Look for “Veggie Slices” made by Galaxy Foods in the produce
department. This tofu cheese has 3 grams of fat per serving but it is in the form of unhydrogenated
canola oil, which is a monounsaturated fat.
5) Olive oil and Nuts – Olive oil is the principle fat replacing other fats and oils (including butter and
margarine). Limit to ____tablespoons daily. A one-ounce portion of nuts may be substituted for a
tablespoon of olive oil. Almonds and walnuts have the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. This is the
same good fat found in salmon.
6) Fish & Poultry-These items may be consumed weekly. A 3-oz. portion is considered a serving. Avoid
any that have been deep-fried. Baking, broiling, roasting on a rack, or poaching are the best cooking
methods. Remove skin from chicken before cooking. Rather than using some oil to sauté try using fat free
broth.
7) Eggs – 4 eggs pre week (including those used in cooking and baking) may be included. Egg substitutes
such as Egg-Beaters may be used as desired. HINT: you may want to use egg substitute in making
scrambled eggs., omelets, or cooking. Save the real eggs for boiling and/or poaching.
8) Sweets-select sweets high in sugar and fat only a few times a week. Remember that these are high in fat
and calories, will not help you achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, and may elevate your
triglycerides. Try sugar-free gelatin or fat-free, sugar-free pudding to tame your sweet tooth.
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9) Meat- this part of the pyramid is very small because meat is a very small part of the Mediterranean diet.
Select red meat (beef, pork and lamb) only a few times per month. A 3-ounce portion is considered a
serving. Do not consume more than 12-16 ounces per month. NO, you cannot have a 12-ounce steak
once a month! Lean meat is preferred.
10) Wine: Moderate consumption of wine is optional. Normally consumed with meals, limit to 1-2 glasses per
day. Moderate is defined as two glasses of wine for a man/ one glass of wine for a woman per day.
11) Water: 6-8 glasses of water per day.
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