The New Malaysian Food Pyramid, A Better Nutritional Guideliness

What is a food pyramid?

The food pyramid is an easy guideline used to control the number of different types of food according to the daily meal recommendations. The pyramid was first introduced in Sweden in 1974. Due to the unreasonably high prices of food in Sweden at the time, the Swedish government set up a committee to analyze the possibility of combining a balanced diet with all the nutrients at a low cost.

The slogan to promote this food pyramid was ‘A good, healthy diet at a reasonable price’. Initially, the pyramid contained only three levels and then was modified to five levels in 2008 by the Harvard School of Public Health, which included more than just food to make it a comprehensive healthy lifestyle guide. This food pyramid will be explained in further detail later in the article.

The food pyramid was officially adopted by the United States in 1992 , under the Department of Agriculture and renamed the 'Food Guide Pyramid,' with its main objective being giving recommendations for foods in sufficient quantities and moderate portions.

It has since prompted other countries to design their own visual representation of nutritional recommendations, such as Japan, Denmark, and Sri Lanka. They have also moved away from the pyramid shapes and used flags, pagodas, rainbows, and wheels.

The Importance of Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is designed to facilitate our efforts and determination to eat healthy. It displays various food groups with the approximate amount that we need to eat in order to maintain a balanced diet. But a healthy diet is not only crucial for our health, but has other benefits such as helping us feel confident, active, and control our weight to a desirable result. Long-term benefits to following the food pyramid can include a reduced risk for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer.

The Levels in The Food Pyramid

There are various examples of food pyramids available today. The food pyramid explained below is from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Malaysian Healthy Plate

Some of you must have read or heard this phrase on the radio or on the internet. Malaysian Healthy Plate is a visual guide used to practice a balanced diet. In general, these healthy plates can be used by all age groups. In adults, it is used in weight management as well as preventing or lowering the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure (hypertension).

The phrase 'quarter-quarter-half' means that a plate should contain a quarter portion of proteins, a quarter portion of carbohydrates and the other half of the plate should contain fibers (vegetables and fruits). Below is an explanation of the importance of each component in a plate. 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of human energy and they are needed to perform daily activities. In this case, the selection of unprocessed carbohydrate foods is the main and better choice for our health because it contains more nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals compared to processed carbohydrate foods. Examples of the unprocessed foods which are rich in carbohydrates are:

• Cereals

• Brown rice

• Oats

• Whole grain products like bread, noodles, and pasta

Proteins

Protein is an important source of energy after carbohydrates. Some of the main functions of protein are used for the growth and formation of tissues, muscles, blood, enzymes, bones, skin and also the body's resistance.

You are encouraged to consume low-fat protein sources such as chicken breast or other muscular pieces of meat. In order to get proteins from seafood, you are encouraged to consume fishes that are rich in omega-3 such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel.

For vegetarians, there are alternatives to replace meat for protein consumption. These can be found in certain plants and nuts. Some of the plants or nutty products that are rich in protein include tofu and tempeh.

Fibers

Fiber is the third component in the Malaysian Healthy Plate, and it is particularly emphasized due to many Malaysians ignoring the intake of vegetables and fruits in their diet. The benefits of fiber include providing energy, iron, minerals and vitamins. It can also speed up bowel movements and thus avoid the risk of constipation.

If you are cooking at home, reduce the use of oil or butter in your cooking as it can increase the risk of developing hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. If you eat outside such as in a restaurant or stall, choose foods that are using oil in small quantities or ask the cook to reduce the oil for the menu that you have selected.

You are also encouraged to eat home-cooked food as it is cleaner and healthier, with the added benefit of being able to control the content of all your cooking ingredients. Besides, the intake of sweet drinks should also be reduced or avoided, and replaced with plain water. Plain water has a lot of benefits.

In conclusion, the food pyramid is just a nutritional guide and it is up to an individual if they want to practice what has been outlined in the food pyramid and the Healthy Plate. Through following it, one can expect a healthier diet and experience all the benefits that can come from it.