What is the Food Guide Pyramid?

Healthy Diet and Lifestyle are key!

Many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension and osteoporosis are affected by how we eat and live. To reduce our risk of developing these chronic diseases, we need to take steps towards a healthy diet and lifestyle!

The food guide pyramid describes a healthy diet and give guidelines for the serving amounts of food we should eat. The Food Guide Pyramid recommends that our diet should consist predominantly of grains, fruits and vegetables, and reduce our intake of fat and animal products.

Following the guidelines of the food guide pyramid assures we will get adequate energy, protein, vitamins and minerals in our diet. The traditional Vietnamese diet fits well into the food guide pyramid guidelines because it is predominantly plant-based.

Following the traditional Vietnamese diet has become more of a challenge since immigration to the United States. Consequently, our diets have changed as well. Many are eating less fruits and vegetables, but eating more convenient fast foods and processed foods. Over time, this can adversely affect our health and increase our risk of chronic diseases.

In this booklet, we will learn about components of a healthy diet by studying the food guide pyramid, including the benefits of the traditional Vietnamese diet.