Diabetes Food Pyramid

This group, being the largest, as weird as it may sound, is at the bottom of the food pyramid. In contrast, the smallest group which consists of the fats, alcohol, and sugary foods, is found at the highest part of the pyramid.

The message behind this is as such; the smallest group (fats, alcohol, and sugary foods), should be consumed the least, while the largest group (grains, vegetables, and beans) should be consumed the most.

Not everyone follows the pyramid as strictly as others, and this has been shown through studies. For those who have the minimum amount of servings shown in the groups, they consume around 1500 calories. For those who have closer to the maximum amount of servings shown in the groups, they consume around 2700 calories.

As many would already assume, men tend to be at the higher end, while women are almost always at the lower end. People’s guidelines to the pyramid vary depending on what they are trying to accomplish (mentally and physically).

Many readers may now be wondering, what is the difference between this pyramid and the regular Food Guide which we so often saw in elementary school and high school? The difference is that this Pyramid puts foods in order based on how much protein and carbohydrates they contain, rather than how the foods group with one another. The servings are also often much less in the Diabetes Food Pyramid (for example, fruit juice is 1/3 cup in the Diabetes Food Pyramid compared to 1/2 cup in the food guide)