The Gary Null Blog

The Peoples' Food Pyramid 

When determining the perfect diet for you, it is important to remember that no 2 people have the same dietary needs. It is best to consult with a dietician to determine what will best suit your body and your lifestyle. If you are a very active individual, you may need more calories and protein. If you are petite, less calories may be more appropriate. For some, gaining weight may be an issue. For others, it is a goal. Thus, there is not one diet that will fit everyone.

This pyramid is meant to be a guideline. None of the quantities or numbers given are hard rules, but rather, a general basis to establish your dietary choices. We have also included a chart with samples of
foods and their dietary facts. While this list is far from inclusive, it includes some basic foods that are easily accessible. 

When picking produce, try to eat organic and local foods. Also, processed foods should be avoided. For many vegans, getting enough protein is a priority. As you can tell from below, this is easily
achievable by eating a healthy, balanced diet of complex carbohydrates, legumes, vegetables and fruits.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg

2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

How many calories you consume in a day depends on your age,
weight, amount of daily physical activity, etc. Consulting with a
qualified dietician can help you determine how many calories per
day you should consume.

Sample Diet:

Alice weighs 115 lbs and is 5’6”. She exercises around 30 minutes per day. She is not lactating or pregnant. According to suggestions of the USDA, she should consume around 1800 calories. To determine the amount of protein she should eat, she follows a simple formula:

1. 115 (Alice’s weight in lbs) /2.2=52.27 (Alice’s weight in kg)

2. 52.27 (Alice’s weight in kg) x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = 40.0 gm of protein.

So, Alice needs to eat 40 grams of protein a day.

Alice’s food diary:

Breakfast: For breakfast, Alice made a fruit smoothie. She blended:

FOOD - CALORIES - PROTEIN
1 banana   105   1g
1 apple   95   0g
.5 c strawberries   24.5   .5g
.5 c blackberries   31   1g
2Tbsp Maple Syrup   104   0g
2 C Rice Milk   240   .8g
_ cup Bran   96   3g

For a snack, Alice had  _ C Blueberries, which had  42 Calories and .5 g protein.

For Lunch, Alice ate a salad with:

FOOD - CALORIES - PROTEIN
2 C Spinach  14    2g
_ onion   32   1g
1 carrot, chopped   25  1g
1 celery stalk   6   0
1.5 Tbsp. Olive Oil mixed with lemon 178   0
2 oz. chickpeas   202   10g

For a snack, Alice later ate 1 cup Avocado, sliced, which was 234 calories, and
3 grams of protein. With it, she had a slice of whole wheat toast, which had 69
calories and 4grams of protein.

For dinner, Alice ate, mixed together, some cooked rice, tempeh, and a bit of
steamed veggies.

FOOD - CALORIES - PROTEIN
1 cup brown rice   216   5g
1 oz tempeh   55   5g
4 spears asparagus   43   1g
_ cup broccoli   54   2g
_ cup cauliflower   12.5   1g

Total Calories for the day: 1878

Total grams of protein: 41.3g

Alice made sure to get plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, a bit of dairy alternatives, and legumes into her diet. She made sure that she got plenty of protein, and had few sources of empty calories.
Eating healthfully can change your life. Not only will you look better, above all you will feel better.

The Good Food Pyramid:

vs. The Bad:

Food Pyramid Facts