tracked on a weekly and monthly basis. Motivation
provides the incentive to start a program that is essen-
tially a lifetime plan.
The Healthy Weight Pyramid
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is a
nutrition guide that focuses on low-energy-dense
foods. The clinic defined energy density as the process
of feeling full while eating fewer calories. Low-energy-
dense foods like fruits and vegetables provide a small
number of calories in a large amount of food. Foods
with a high-energy density have a large number of
calories in a small amount of food. These foods like
desserts and processed foods often contain large
amounts of sugar.
The pyramid shows food groups in terms of
amounts that should be consumed. At the bottom of
the triangle are low-energy-dense foods; at the peak
are high-energy dense sweets. The Mayo Clinic
Healthy Weight Pyramid consists of five levels:
Level 1 is comprised of unlimited amounts of vege-
tables and fruits. The dieter should consume at least
four servings of vegetables and the same amount of
fruit. A vegetable serving is 25 calories, which is 2
cups (453.6 grams) of shredded lettuce, 1 cup (226.8
grams) of whole mushrooms, or 10 small radishes. A
fruit serving is 60 calories, which is one small banana,
half of a large grapefruit, or about 12 grapes.
Level 2 includes carbohydrates such as whole grains
including pasta, bread, rice and cereals. A carbohy-
drate serving is 70 calories. One serving equals a slice
of bread, one half-cup (113.4 grams) of whole-grain
pasta, or 2 cups (453.6 grams) of popcorn.
Level 3 consists of protein and dairy. This category
includes plant-based food such as beans, fish, lean
meat, and low-fat dairy products. A serving is 110
calories, and one serving. That is 1/3 cup (75.6
grams) of beans, 3 ounces (85 grams) of fish, 2 and
one-half ounces (70.9 grams) of chicken, 1 cup (0.24
liters) of 2% milk, 2 ounces (56.7 grams ) of 1ow-fat
cheddar cheese, or one half cup (113.4 grams) of fat-
free ice cream.
Level 4 consists of fats such as heart-healthy olive oil,
nuts, canola oil, and avocados. One serving of fat is
45 calories. That is 1 teaspoon (4.9 milliliters) of oil,
four walnut halves, 1/6 avocado, or 3 tablespoons
(44.3 milliliters) of fat-free cream cheese.
Level 5 is the sweets category. It includes candy and
processed sweets. The daily allowance at this level is
up to 75 calories. This amounts to one small slice of
angel food cake, one half cup (113.4 grams) of gelatin
dessert, or 1 tablespoon (14.8 milliliters) of honey.
Physical activity is at the center of the pyramid. The
placement represents the central role of regular phys-
ical activity.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS.The Mayo Clinic
plan based most recommended food pyramid serving
portions on daily calorie allowances. For the person
trying to lose weight, the medically accepted calorie
allowance is generally 1,200 calories per day for
women and 1,400 calories for men. A diet of less
than 1,200 calories per day could deprive a person of
nutrients likecalcium,iron, andprotein. Because of
that, diets of less than 1,200 calories should be medi-
cally supervised.
The Mayo Clinic program starts with a 1,200-
calorie allowance, with higher amounts based on a
person’s weight. In addition, people who feel too hun-
gry at one level or experience an extremely rapid
weight gain are advised to follow the recommenda-
tions for the next level. In addition, the daily sweets
allowance of 75 calories can be saved up so a treat with
more calories is consumed on one day. However, the
dieter must remember to budget the sweets in order to
have a total weekly consumption of 525 calories.
The calorie allowances and serving recommenda-
tions from the Healthy Weight Pyramid are:
1,200 calories for women weighing 250 pounds
(113.4 kilograms) or less. This consists of four or
more servings of vegetables, three or more servings
of fruit, four carbohydrate servings, three servings
from the protein/dairy group, and three fats. A max-
imum of 75 calories of sweets may be consumed.
1,400 calories for men weighing 250 pounds (113.4
kilograms) or less and women weighing from 251 to
300 pounds (113.9 to 136.1 kilograms). The allow-
ance is four or more servings of vegetables, four or
more fruit servings, five servings of carbohydrates,
four protein/dairy servings, and threes servings of
fat. Up to 75 calories worth of sweets is allowed.
1,600 calories for men weighing from 251 to 300
pounds (113.9 to 136.1 kilograms) and women
weighing 301 pounds (136.5 kilograms) or more.
The allowance is five or more servings of vegetables,
five or more fruit servings, six servings of carbohy-
drates, five protein/dairy servings, and three servings
of fat. The sweets allowance is 75 calories.
The 2,000-calorie allowance is a maintenance level or
could be used while dieting. It consists of five or more
vegetable servings, five or more servings of fruit,
eight carbohydrate servings, seven protein/dairy
servings, and five fat servings. Up to 75 calories
worth of sweets is allowed.Mayo Clinic plan (endorsed by clinic)