List of nutrition guides
This is a list of nutrition guides. A nutrition guide is a reference that provides nutrition advice for general health, typically by dividing foods into food groups and recommending servings of each group. Nutrition guides can be presented in written or visual form, and are commonly published by government agencies, health associations and university health departments.
Some countries also have nutrition facts labels which are not listed here; many of those reference specific target amounts for various nutrients.
Historical guides
Ancient Greece
The Hippocratic Corpus of Ancient Greece contains one of the earliest known nutrition guides. It recommends a seasonal diet. For winter, it advises eating a heavy diet of bread and roasted meat and fish, while avoiding vegetables and restricting liquids to, if anything, strong wine. It then recommends a lighter summer diet of soft barley cake, vegetables, boiled meat, and large quantities of diluted wine. Gradual transitions between these two diets are advised in the intervening months.Imperial China
During the Tang dynasty, Chinese physician Sun Simiao is believed to have written the first nutrition guide in traditional Chinese medicine. In his book, Precious Prescriptions for Emergencies, the chapter "Dietary Treatment" contains sections describing the effects of eating fruits, vegetables, grains and animals.First food pyramid
Amid high food prices in 1972, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare developed the idea of "basic foods" that were both cheap and nutritious, and "supplemental foods" that added nutrition missing from the basic foods. KF, a consumer co-op that worked with the Board, sought to illustrate these food groups. KF developed a food pyramid because it could depict basic foods as its base, and introduced the guide to the public in 1974 in their magazine, Vi. At the base were bread, cereals, potatoes, milk, cheese and margarine; above it was a large section of supplemental vegetables and fruit; and at the top was an apex of supplemental meat, fish and eggs. The pyramid competed with the National Board's "dietary circle," which KF saw as problematic for resembling a cake divided into seven slices, and for not indicating how much of each food should be eaten. While the Board distanced itself from the pyramid, KF continued to promote it, and food pyramids were developed in other Scandinavian countries, plus West Germany, Japan and Sri Lanka. The United States later developed its first food pyramid in 1992.Today, both the Swedish government and KF have moved to the [|Plate Model].
Government guides
Australia
The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care publishes The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, which features a wheel divided into five sections: approximately 40 percent bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles; 30 percent vegetables and legumes; 10 percent fruit; 10 percent milk, yogurt and cheese; and 10 percent lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes. Below the wheel are reminders to drink plenty of water and eat fats and sweets occasionally or in small amounts. More specific recommendations are provided based on age, gender, life stage and activity level.Austria
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Health uses The Austrian Food Pyramid, which is divided into 25 blocks, each block representing a daily serving from a food group. Starting at the base, there are six servings of non-alcoholic beverages ; three servings of vegetables and legumes; two of fruit; four of cereals, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes ; three of milk and dairy ; one of fats and oil ; three of meat, fish, sausage and eggs ; and three of fatty, sweet and salty foods.Belgium
The Voedingsdriehoek is a widely used tool for dietitians, health educators, schools, etc. to explain a balanced diet.The triangle is constructed as a pyramid with five different layers. The bottom layer is the largest in area, and so the most important; the top is narrow and represents small amounts of food, although it is an essential ingredient. The layers are : Oil / fats; Protein: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, meat substitutes; Fruits and vegetables; Starch or carbohydrates ; Drinks. In 2005 a layer was added at the bottom: sports and exercise. This is not a food, but an important part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. The information services use the "active" food pyramid.
Brazil
's Ministry of Health publishes the Food Guide, which features a map of Brazil depicting each of Brazil's five regions as puzzle pieces representing a food group. However, Brazil's food recommendations differ from the map, and feature eight food groups: rice, bread, pasta, potato and cassavas ; vegetables and legumes ; fruits ; milk, cheese and yogurt ; beans ; meat, fish and eggs ; oils and fats ; and sugars and sweets.Canada
Canada's Food Guide from Health Canada was updated and released in January 2019. It promotes eating a variety of healthy foods each day and filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and the other half with protein foods and whole grain foods. It promotes making water your drink of choice and encourages healthy eating habits such as cooking more often and enjoying meals with others. The 2019 Guide no longer classifies food into the four food groups from previous versions and it does away with recommended servings. The previous version had four food groups: vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives.Canada developed its first nutrition guide in 1942 as part of its wartime nutrition program.