The Healthy Eating Pyramid
FoundationEat most grains, plenty of fruit and vegetables, some meat, eggs, beans and milk, the least oil, salt and sugar — and drink water every day.
- The eating pyramid sorts food into four layers.
- Eat the most grains from the base and the least oil, salt and sugar from the top.
- Have fruit and vegetables at every meal; meat, eggs and milk in moderation.
文體小知識：說明文配上金字塔圖，把食物分成幾層：底層吃最多，頂層吃最少，一看就明白。
§Text Passage
1The body is like a house, and food is the building material. To grow tall and have energy for PE lessons, we need a balanced diet. Dietitians designed the Healthy Eating Pyramid to show us how much of each food to eat.
2The bottom layer is grains such as rice, noodles, bread and oats. They give us energy, so we eat the most of them at every meal. The layer above is vegetables and fruit, which have vitamins and fibre to help us fight illness; we need plenty every day.
3The next layer is meat, fish, eggs, beans and milk. They have protein and calcium for strong muscles and bones, so we eat some of them. The top layer is oil, salt and sugar, such as fried chicken, crisps and soft drinks — only a little.
4Along with good meals, drink six to eight cups of water a day and fewer soft drinks. Breakfast matters: a fed brain learns better. Remember the rhyme: most from the bottom, least from the top, snacks not too many, and the body stays strong!
1Summary 重點摘要
Eat most grains, plenty of fruit and vegetables, some meat, eggs, beans and milk, the least oil, salt and sugar — and drink water every day.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The parts of food that help the body grow and stay healthy.
A shape with a wide base and a pointed top; the eating pyramid uses it to show how much to eat.
Foods like rice, noodles and bread that give the body energy.
Nutrients in fruit and vegetables that help the body fight illness.
Nutrients in meat, fish, eggs and beans that build muscles.
Eating suitable amounts of all kinds of food.
A small amount of food eaten between meals, such as crisps and sweets; not too much.
Boiled water safe to drink; the best drink for the body.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the four layersThe healthy eating pyramid sorts food into four layers and tells us how much of each kind to eat. The base is grains like rice and noodles; layer two is vegetables and fruit; layer three is meat, fish, eggs, beans and milk; the top layer is oil, salt and sugar. The lower the layer, the more we eat; the higher, the less. Remember how the pyramid is arranged, and you will know which foods to eat more of and which to eat less of, so planning three meals a day becomes easy.
- Step 2: Eat most from the baseGrains sit on the bottom layer of the pyramid; they are our main source of energy, so we eat the most of them. A bowl of rice, a potato, two slices of bread or a bowl of oats are all grains, and every meal should include one of them. With enough grains we can focus in class and have energy and spirit for play; without rice or noodles we soon grow hungry, and our heads feel dull in lessons, so no meal should ever be short of grains.
- Step 3: Fruit and veg at every mealVegetables and fruit are on layer two, full of vitamins and fibre, so eat some at every meal. Have a bowl of blanched greens at lunch, plus an apple or a banana afterwards; the more colours, the better, because differently coloured vegetables and fruit hold different nutrients. Fibre works like a little broom, helping the tummy move food along, so we feel comfortable and do not get constipated. Children who are picky eaters easily lack vitamins, and skin and eyesight suffer — so eat fruit and vegetables every day.
- Step 4: Just enough proteinMeat, fish, eggs, beans and milk are on layer three; they hold protein and calcium, help us grow tall and strong and repair our body, but we should eat just the right amount, not too much. A piece of fish the size of your palm, or an egg with a cup of milk, gives enough nourishment. This layer builds firm muscles and bones, which growing children especially need; yet eating too much turns the extra energy into stored fat and harms health, so a suitable amount is best.
- Step 5: Eat least from the topOil, salt and sugar sit at the very top of the pyramid, which means we eat them the least. Soft drinks, crisps, sweets and fried chicken all belong to this layer; they taste tempting, but have them only once or twice a week, and only a little each time. Too much oil and sugar makes people overweight and brings more tooth decay, and too much salt burdens the body. When you crave sweets, try fruit instead of candy and plain water instead of soft drinks — satisfying and healthier at once.
- Step 6: Drink water when thirstyWater is the best drink for our body; have six to eight cups a day to help digestion and keep a steady temperature. One can of soft drink holds as much sugar as about seven sugar cubes, and too much makes us overweight and harms our teeth, so plain water is best when we are thirsty. After sports and on hot days we sweat a lot and must remember to drink more; a cup of warm water after waking also comforts the stomach. Make plain water your habit, and the body will always have enough to stay healthy.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Ming has fried chicken leg, chips and a can of soft drink for lunch. Checked against the pyramid, what is wrong with this meal, and how should it be improved?
- Fried chicken and chips are deep-fried foods on the top layer of the pyramid, very high in fat; they may be eaten only in small amounts and should not be the main dish of lunch.
- Soft drinks are full of sugar and also belong to the top layer; drinking them every day easily leads to weight gain and tooth decay, so they do not suit daily drinking.
- The meal has no grains and no vegetables, so the two bottom layers of the pyramid are missing and the diet is unbalanced.
- The fix: a bowl of rice, a piece of steamed fish, a bowl of greens, plus water or milk — then all four layers of the pyramid are covered.
- Answer: The problem is too much fried food and sugar with no grains or vegetables. A healthy meal has rice or noodles, a fitting amount of meat or fish, plenty of vegetables, and water or milk instead of the soft drink — only then is the nutrition balanced.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Which foods are on the bottom layer of the pyramid?
Q2Which layer should we eat the least of?
Q3How do vegetables and fruit help the body?
Q4How many cups of water should we drink each day?
Q5What nutrients are in meat, fish, eggs and milk?
8Recap Recap
- The eating pyramid sorts food into four layers.
- Eat the most grains from the base and the least oil, salt and sugar from the top.
- Have fruit and vegetables at every meal; meat, eggs and milk in moderation.
- Cut down on soft drinks and sweets; drink water when thirsty.
- Eat breakfast every day — balanced food keeps the body strong.