Professor Nicolae Hancu: We must learn to build our own diet pyramid

A healthy diet requires in the first place knowing what the main food groups are, as well as their caloric and nutritional values, says Nicolae Hancu, PhD, Professor, who argues that one of the most broadly known and used methods that help the good functioning of the body is the 'food pyramid'.

Photo credit: (c) ANGELO BREZOIANU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

''There are many methods at hand and the food pyramid is the best known and used. It was 'designed' by experts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture several decades ago. The food pyramid includes four layers of core foods and helps us to correctly use the products we have and also need to enjoy a healthy diet and hence a healthy weight," Professor Hancu explains.

According to him, the base layer consists of cereals and cereal products rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, while the next, consisting of fruits and vegetables, is a rich source of complex carbohydrates as well as of fructose.

The third layer is made of foods with a high content of protein calories: milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetable products.

At the tip of the pyramid are fatty and sugary foods, which also have the highest content of calories, simple carbohydrates and mainly saturated fats.

''The advice of the nutrition experts is that the foods in the lower two layers be consumed daily, to moderately eat foods in the third layer, while much caution is recommended for the foods at the top of the pyramid. Only thus can we enjoy the benefits of a correct diet based on calorie ? nutrient balance," reveals Professor Hancu, the author of the book 'ABC of Nutrition'.

According to Nicolae Hancu, everyone must calculate the amount of calories he or she needs, depending on one's eating...