Do you remember that old food pyramid diagram, from back in our school days? Having just gone veggie, when I was 11, I distinctly remember my teacher getting stressed over where I was ‘going to get protein from’! I remember that carbs, whole wheat and grains, dairy, meat and fats featured very heavily, at the base of the pyramid. Then, twenty or so years ago, Monsieur Atkins pretty much ripped carbs out, altogether.
The thing is – and I’m curious about whether you have felt this way, too – I have always felt lousy when I eat according to the traditional food pyramid. In fact, I have ignored it for a very long time. So I was delighted when I stumbled across the ‘Raw Food Pyramid’ from Vegan Raw Diet. It answers the question, “What should I eat on a raw food diet?” Are you curious?
The Raw Food Pyramid
As you can see in this pyramid (courtesy of Vegan Raw Diet), leafy green vegetables form the foundations. This is brilliant news, as they are packed with vitamins, minerals and (when eaten raw) enzymes. In fact, eating loads of leafy greens means you’re pretty much guaranteed to have all the calcium, iron and vitamin C you need – a rare feat (or feast!) in a Western diet.
Next come fruit and vegetables, which can be consumed fairly freely, depending on your body’s needs. Remember, though, that people with a strong blood sugar sensitivity to fruit should be wary of how much and when they eat it.
Then we get to protein foods – and, contrary to the scare-mongering out there, there are plenty of them in a raw food diet. Sprouted pulses, seeds, nuts and grains are super-cheap superfoods, packed with easily digested, enzyme-rich nutrients.
And finally we get to fats and so-called micro-nutrients. You will already have had most of the essential fats and nutrients you need from the lower parts of the pyramid, so there’s not much more needed here.
So how does all this sit for you?
When I first saw this, it was a bit of an ‘at last!’ moment. I could see how it made sense. Plus it makes it so much easier to eat locally-sourced, in-season food, so it’s brilliant for the planet, too!
Of course, with all these things, you have to listen to your body, because each of us is different.
What are your thoughts on the Raw Food Pyramid?
How does it compare with what you usually eat?
Do you have any suggested tweaks?
I’d love to hear from you, via the comments box or perhaps you’d like to share your views over at the Raw Food Forum: Is The Traditional Food Pyramid Upside Down?
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