Vegetarian Diet Info
Vegetarian Diet Pyramid
Information About Vegetarian Diet Food Pyramid - Well Balanced Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet Plan

Vegetarian Healthy Diet Program - VEGETARIAN DIET ARTICLES INDEX

Vegetarian Diet Pyramid

The Vegetarian Diet Food Pyramid, released in November 1998, publicizes the well-balanced ovo-lacto vegetarian diet of healthy vegetarian people of many cultures, which research has increasingly shown to be linked to much lower rates of certain cancers, heart disease, obesity and, in some cases, osteoporosis and other chronic, degenerative diseases found in the United States.

The Vegetarian Diet Pyramid emphasizes a wide base of foods to be eaten at every meal, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains (oats, wheat, whole grain bread, barley, couscous, noodles, pasta, corn) and legumes (soy, beans, peanuts and other legumes). The middle band to be eaten from daily includes nuts and seeds, egg whites, dairy and soy cheese, milk (almond, dairy, rice and soy) and plant oils. The top tip of the pyramid are optional foods or foods to be eaten occasionally or in small quantities and includes eggs and sweets.

Daily physical exercise and plenty of water are stressed. A moderate intake of wine, beer and other alcohol is considered optional because of positive heart-health benefits for individuals who are not at risk.

Vegetarian Diet Pyramid Project

The Vegetarian Diet Pyramid was developed by nutrition scientists and medical specialists from the Cornell-China-Oxford Project on Nutrition, Health and Environment; the Harvard School of Public Health; and the Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, a non-profit food-issues educational organization in Cambridge, Mass.

"This pyramid reflects the growing body of research that suggests that Americans will not reduce their rate of cancers, cardiovascular disease and other chronic, degenerative diseases until they shift their diets away from animal-based foods to plant-based foods," said T. Colin Campbell, Cornell professor of nutritional biochemistry, one of the scientists who helped develop the vegetarian food pyramid.

Americans Turning to Vegetarian Diets

Increasingly, more Americans are turning to vegetarian diets. Currently, an estimated 14 million Americans consider themselves vegetarians, compared with 9 million just a few years ago, reported Oldways President K. Dun Gifford. And every year, about 1 million people adopt a vegetarian diet.

"The new pyramid helps mark the entry of vegetarian eating into the American mainstream," he said.

Vegetarian Healthy Diet Program