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Is there any kind of Traditional Foods "food pyramid"?  

post #1 of 10
6/16/08 at 3:21am
Thread Starter 
Or some type of guideline of how much and what types of food I should be eating. Like so many servings of meat, so many of fruits and vegetables, so many fermented foods... etc. I guess I understand the principles individually but I'm having trouble putting it all together to form a cohesive eating plan. I don't really have any faith in the gov't food pyramid, but I still feel like I need some guidance. Any advice?
post #2 of 10
6/16/08 at 12:00pm
We had a discussion about that on CTFF recently. Here's the link. http://www.tfrecipes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1991

I think the proportions should vary per person, but fats and proteins should be the base of everyone's pyramid.
post #3 of 10
6/17/08 at 1:24am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Kerry Ann. That does help a bit. I guess I just wonder how to plan a balanced meal without a guideline for what makes a meal balanced. Should I just be relying on intuition? And how does one do that when the gov't nutrition propaganda has managed to fog up one's intuition beyond recognition.
post #4 of 10
6/17/08 at 1:44am
Well, I do CSA, so I usually showcase some sort of meat or meat added to a bean dish- and veggies on the side. So the veggies are really an afterthought comparatively. Dairy and cheeses are eaten throughout the day so dairy is high up there as well. Fruits and nuts are usually snack or breakfast additions or deserts.
So my food pyramid would look something like this:
sweets
fruits
veggies
meats
dairy
fats

I also do not worry about getting everything balanced at each meal. I just worry about getting everyone FED. Toddlers are so picky!

I figure, in the course of a day or 2 or 3, I will get what I need. My body reminds me to drink milk if I have gone a while without it.
post #5 of 10
6/17/08 at 2:58am
I've been thinking about this too (a TF food pyramid).

What I am doing now, which is working quite well for me, is divide up my plate into portions...so, 1/4 of my plate is meat (with all of its fat), 1/4 a starchy veggie, 1/2 veggies with butter/fat and some fermented veggies with that. I personally feel best when I eat lots of green veggies, and I need the protein and fat in every meal. I'm nursing, so the starchy veggie helps me with my energy, along with all of the butter on top of my food!

Anyway, this is the right balance for me. BTW, I'm dairy and grain free. Both really mess up my digestion, even when soaked, fermented, raw, cultured, etc.

I think it's all about finding what works best for your body and going with that. Good luck!
post #6 of 10
6/17/08 at 1:44pm
I think it really depends on the individual. I feel crappy on a produce-dominated diet. I need a substantial amount of meat daily to meet my needs. I'm obviously a protein dominant type. Other people do better on more produce and less meat. www.mercola.com has a metabolic typing test that was free last time I saw it, to help you determine where you fall on the spectrum.

So basically, I fix the same thing for everyone but adjust the amount of grain/veggie/protein given to each person based on their type.
post #7 of 10
6/17/08 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by krankedyann View Post
I think it really depends on the individual. I feel crappy on a produce-dominated diet. I need a substantial amount of meat daily to meet my needs. I'm obviously a protein dominant type. Other people do better on more produce and less meat. www.mercola.com has a metabolic typing test that was free last time I saw it, to help you determine where you fall on the spectrum.

So basically, I fix the same thing for everyone but adjust the amount of grain/veggie/protein given to each person based on their type.
That is pretty much what we do here. I am definately a protein type but dh and ds seem to be mixed types.
post #8 of 10
6/17/08 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leilalu View Post
I also do not worry about getting everything balanced at each meal. I just worry about getting everyone FED. Toddlers are so picky!
Love this line . Words I live by actually!
post #9 of 10
6/17/08 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 425lisamarie View Post
Love this line . Words I live by actually!
no kidding!

yeah, I'm happy if I can cram a few eggs in them, or bribe sauerkraut with a homeade cookie... Darn those smart kids though, they see through it.
post #10 of 10
6/17/08 at 4:59pm
Quote:
So basically, I fix the same thing for everyone but adjust the amount of grain/veggie/protein given to each person based on their type.
This works for us, too. I've seen that my husband needs/wants less fat and more veggies than I do, and I think it's due both to just being different people and because of different overall health status--he's healthier than I, and I am doing the typical crave meat/fat thing, and I don't know long-term where I'm going to end up. Maybe it'll still be high meat/fat, but KerryAnn's solution has become ours as well.

I think the easiest thing to overdo, because of our cultural background (meaning US culture) is grains.
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Mothering › Forums › Health › Nutrition and Good Eating › Traditional Foods › Is there any kind of Traditional Foods "food pyramid"?