The California Cuisine Pyramid, developed at UCLA, depicts
improved food choices for those who are overweight or obese.
The
UCLA Center for Human Nutrition has constructed a variation of the USDA Food
Pyramid, the California Cuisine Pyramid, which illustrates our
plant-based diet for healthy eating. Target fat consumption is 20% of total
calories. Fats, oils and spices should all be used only to enhance taste. You
will also notice that the base of this pyramid is fruits and vegetables, rather
than carbohydrates and grains as in the USDA version. Fruits and vegetables
should constitute the cornerstone of the diet, with a total of six to eleven
servings per day. Fewer than 20% of Americans consume at least five servings of
fruits and vegetables daily. One of the goals of this new pyramid is to educate
patients that a diet based fundamentally on fruits, vegetables and grains will
enable them to best achieve the goal of a low fat, moderate calorie meal plan.
It also allows for maximum concentration of chemoprotective micronutrients,
such as phytochemicals and antioxidants, while providing optimum fiber and
protein intake.
The California Cuisine Pyramid is at the cutting edge of nutritional science. Its approach broadens the scope of our traditional food pyramid. It is not a food-only pyramid. It provides also a basis to include physical activity, water, and dietary supplement advice. Taste is at the top of the pyramid, because it is the most important element in encouraging food intake. Instead of the dots symbolising hidden fats and oils (in the traditional food pyramid) or just oils in the newer version, the use of natural flavour enhancers is recommended as needed including: avocado, herbs, nuts, olives, seeds, spices (including garlic, chillies, onions, cumin, curry, mustard, peppers), oils rich in monounsaturates and omega-3 fatty acids, and sweeteners (honey, molasses, sugars, sweeteners).
A further step is the inclusion of plant-based protein for balanced nutrition in the 4 to 6 daily servings of protein. Recommendation for protein now includes soy protein, beans and legumes with rice or corn (for plant-based protein) or non-fat dairy products, egg white, poultry, fish/seafood, lean meats (for animal protein). Soy protein is a nutritionally complete protein with great health benefits. Soy protein isolate, an easily absorbable form of soy protein, was given approval for a cholesterol-lowering food claim by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. It is recommended as a protein balance for meat derived protein in the diet. There is also emerging evidence on the effects of soy protein as an antioxidant and tumour growth inhibitor.
For grain read "wholegrain," not refined (white) flour, bread, pasta or rice. Choose the "brown" variety and make sure that it's whole grain and not just whole meal.
The California Cuisine Pyramid also extends the recommended 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to 5 to 11 servings with a predominance of vegetables over fruit. Broadly speaking, women should eat at least 7 servings while men should eat at least 9 servings (a serving is about a cup of fresh vegetable, a half cup of cooked vegetable, or a half cup of fruit).
http://apps.medsch.ucla.edu/nutrition/dietrecom.htm
Gary Rumel
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