Opinion of this food pyramid?

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Or should we eat more like the USDA told us to from 1992-2005?

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Let me tell you what I've realized.... I am not the healthiest fella on the planet but I can get around and enjoy life and 69 may not sound old to many of you but I didn't think I'd lvie this long when I was growing up...definitely not live the type of life I do now. I have realized much of life and health is simply how much you enjoy life- people I know who live the longest have the least stress and that makes them lives longer

If having a good hearty meal relaxes you- that is healtheir then the people I know (including my lady friend) who stress over exercise. That is one rason I try not to get worked up over some of the posts on this board- even the ones that offend me- because it is unhealthy to be stressed

Oh I definitely agree with you about stress and happiness. Living a happy life is good for your health as well. I think the trick is to make that hearty meal that gives you happiness more healthy for you. Substituting red meat for poultry or fish is a start. If you can completely replace that with legumes, even better. Eating vegetarian food shouldn't have to be bad. And vegetarian food certainly is not limited to a tasteless salad.

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6-11 servings of the grains/pasta?  No!  I would still be a fat. 

What do you think of the top pyramid? What kind of food do you eat since you decided to live a more healthy lifestyle?

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Yikes if I followed the first one I would be deficient in pretty much everything. I'm already borderline iron deficient half the time and would probably do well to eat more beef not less. Not to mention the dairy being limited to twice weekly...let's throw calcium/bone problems into the mix as well.

If you are deficient in iron or calcium, you just have to eat vegetables that are high in those products. Lentils, soys, beans etc usually have these in high quantities and have a lot of protein, and in some cases fiber. There is no need for iron to only come from beef. There is no need for you to drink milk to get your calcium. The beef comes with a ton of unnecessary saturated fats. Casein in milk might increase your risk of cancer....well, that's the controversial part. In any case you should at least make sure the milk is non-fat.

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Yikes if I followed the first one I would be deficient in pretty much everything. I'm already borderline iron deficient half the time and would probably do well to eat more beef not less. Not to mention the dairy being limited to twice weekly...let's throw calcium/bone problems into the mix as well.

If you are deficient in iron or calcium, you just have to eat vegetables that are high in those products. Lentils, soys, beans etc usually have these in high quantities and have a lot of protein, and in some cases fiber. There is no need for iron to only come from beef. There is no need for you to drink milk to get your calcium. The beef comes with a ton of unnecessary saturated fats. Casein in milk might increase your risk of cancer....well, that's the controversial part. In any case you should at least make sure the milk is non-fat.

I'm not going to get 2400 mg of calcium a day eating almost exclusively beans and legumes. That's not going to happen. I need to be taking a ton of supplements. The calcium I could manage decently well most of the time but probably would end up with a few more occasional stress fractures which would really suck.

If I try to get iron only from non-heme sources, I would have to a ton more of it because the absorption would go down. I point-blank refuse to ever take iron supplements again unless I am in a state of health emergency. Taking them was the worst dietary experience I have ever had.

Fair enough, it seems like your body need these products. I think it goes without saying though that most Americans can drastically reduce their intake of animal products and still be fine, in fact be much healthier. Even you probably can manage your iron with only a few servings of low fat cuts of red meat a week along with lots and lots of high iron vegetables. Balance is key as with everything. Also you can drink milk without fat and still get your calcium (leaving aside the controversial cancer findings).

I think a vegetarian diet needs a lot of variety, that I sometimes find lacking in American supermarkets. One food that has a lot of Iron, and my grandmother was recommended to eat after her bypass, is the trunk of the Banana plant. Haven't ever seen those in an American supermarket.

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What type of quack made that first one?

What exactly do you disagree with there and what are you basing that on?

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Why is it propaganda? Can't the second one also be propaganda to protect the cattle and dairy industry? What are you basing this on?

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It doesn't make sense to put whole grains and nuts/seeds in the same category.  The carb/protein/fat ratios are just too different.

Yeah, I found that a little odd as well. But if you think about it, many nuts do have a lot of unsaturated fats. While they are fine in a controlled amount, I wouldn't recommend anyone eat as much almonds as their heart desires. Although substituting it for something like chips is an excellent idea.

BRTD, I understand where you are coming from. I doubt I will ever be a complete vegetarian, but I know where most of my nutrition should come from.

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6-11 servings of the grains/pasta?  No!  I would still be a fat. 

What do you think of the top pyramid? What kind of food do you eat since you decided to live a more healthy lifestyle?

Meat (tri tip), fish (catfish with spices on it fried in olive oil is what God eats every day), poultry (mostly turkey, lots of veggies, orange juice (I use that for my morning protein drink mix, and after I work out), and booze (that is where I get most of my sugar  ).

I have my own little pyramid in short. The government has their pyramid reflecting the fashions of the day, and I have mine. Once again, I just ignore the government's good advice. I guess I am just hopelessly incorrigible.

If weed was a food it would be at the tippy top of Torie's pyramid

Weed can be in food form. Well, more like dessert. Oh and you must mean the base, not the top.

Torie, you follow the low carb diet, eh? I think that's a great way to lose weight, but I think you need to have some after the fat is gone and if you are working out a lot. Eat whole grains, avoid white bread and rice, and eat in moderation obviously and you should be fine. Fish is great too. Although there is no reason to eat animal products, they just taste so damn good, don't they?

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Why is it propaganda? Can't the second one also be propaganda to protect the cattle and dairy industry? What are you basing this on?

Come on, nobody feels good eating all that carbohydrate and so little protein, Sbane.

Yes, which is why they should cut the carbs and substitute with vegetables and sugars from fruits. And instead of animal protein, they should eat legumes, beans, lentils etc.

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Come on, nobody feels good eating all that carbohydrate and so little protein, Sbane.

Yes, which is why they should cut the carbs and substitute with vegetables and sugars from fruits. And instead of animal protein, they should eat legumes, beans, lentils etc.

Are you serious?  What are you, a vegetarian?

Not really, and don't intend to become a "pure" one. But yes a large part of your diet should be coming from unprocessed plant sources. A little fish or turkey/chicken here or there is fine but red meat really should be cut out of the diet unless you specifically need it for some micro nutrient.

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I agree with you on red meat, as I don't recommend anyone eat it daily if they can help it. I usually stick to lean proteins like fish or chicken along with unprocessed vegetables or fruit. I eat very little bread or carbs unless its wheat on a sandwich for lunch. I also drink a lot of isolated whey protein to aid with recovery in my workout regimen.

But I can tell you from first hand experiences and from friends that legumes/lentils/beans are nice substitutes, but they hardly are replacements for animal protein IF you go any sort of strength training or lift regularly.

Well, there is an UFC fighter who is vegan and he doesn't seem to have trouble With his protein intake. The key of course is to eat even more plant based protein. That being said if someone is active, eating some animals is just fine.

Not really, and don't intend to become a "pure" one. But yes a large part of your diet should be coming from unprocessed plant sources. A little fish or turkey/chicken here or there is fine but red meat really should be cut out of the diet unless you specifically need it for some micro nutrient.

Oh good lord, no way!  What you want is a lot of animal fat - like eggs, fatback/lard, fatty fishes, chicken-fat or duck, and so forth.

Fat is what the body needs.  Fat, salt, and organs, such as livers and kidneys.  Think about what the animals eat as soon as they kill the Wildebeest.

Presumably we also need lots of trans fats in our diet?

There should be a difference in eating habits between animals who have a limited amount to eat and who have to exert themselves to get that food and contemporary humans. The reason animals eat fat is because it provides you quick calories. And our brains, including animals, are wired to love that stuff since it can save your life in the wild. Leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating that will lead to a shortened life span. And while all you have to do is exercise vigorously and you can eat that crap, many people don't have the time to do that. Diet modification seems like an easier way to go for them. Plus the moral arguments about not killing something that doesn't need to be killed and environmental concerns. But making a moral argument to you is a waste of time.