Vegetarian Food Pyramid

A common approach to healthy, sustainable food consumption is vegetarianism. Vegetarian food is generally lower in fat, doesn’t contain growth hormones that the meat industry is notorious for using to maximize profits and is the most efficient consumption of food by eating lower on the food chain. Though there are a great many benefits of being a vegetarian, the challenge in leading a healthy life, consuming sufficient protein and having enough energy to fight of infection needs to be addressed. To counteract the challenges of eating vegetarian, researchers at Arizona State University came up with the vegetarian food pyramid. The vegetarian food pyramid is the corollary to the food pyramid learned in grade school and the one diet suggested by the FDA. The vegetarian food pyramid is an effective guide for vegetarians to promote eating protein and avoid enervation. Below is a detailed daily list of the vegetarian food pyramid:

• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 1: 2-3 tsp of Oils (olive, canola)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 2: 1-2 ounces of nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 3A: 3 servings of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 3B: 2-3 servings protein (including beans, eggs, and tofu)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 4A: 2-3 servings of greens (spinach, arugala)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 4B: 2-4 servings of vegetables (carrots, squash)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 4C: 2-4 servings of fruit (fresh, dried)
• Vegetarian Food Pyramid Level 5: 6-11 servings of whole grains (bread, cereal)

The above list a sample of the foods available in the vegetarian food pyramid. To avoid enervation and a lack of protein, follow the above guidelines.