The positive nutrition food pyramid

The ‘positive nutrition’ pyramid (see image, right) is a simple collection of images, each of which represents a single portion of food. The whole pyramid represents one day, and the aim is to tick off every type of food pictured.

After you’ve had breakfast and lunch, for example, you can then see exactly which foods still need to be ticked for your evening meal. You can then prepare a meal that incorporates those.

Some foods fall into more than one category — for example, a handful of almonds can be either ‘nuts and seeds’ or ‘protein’ or ‘healthy fats’. Half a tin of chickpeas could be both ‘starchy carbohydrates’ or ‘protein’.

It’s up to you to choose whichever food type you most need, and work out the rest of your day accordingly. Importantly, the pyramid doesn’t specify or restrict what you choose to eat on top of the portions recommended. The foods pictured represent a suggested minimum.

In fact, some people struggle to include all the vegetables pictured and work up to this level slowly, starting with just one extra portion a day.

That doesn’t mean I’m encouraging a completely free rein — the pyramid will work only when it’s your first priority. It’s then up to you if you wish to add in foods or drinks that may be nice, but not necessary.

If you don’t manage every food pictured, don’t worry. I don’t want you to be stuffing yourself with all the remaining portions or glugging five glasses of water just before bedtime. Neither should you try to ‘catch up’ the next day; each morning, simply start afresh.