Vegan food pyramid

**hermy** · Jul 3rd, 2012 01:01 PM

Hi!

I've been vegan for two months and I have a question concerning the vegan food pyramid. It says we should eat 6 to 11 servings of cereals and whole grains. It seems a lot to me and I'm pretty sure I never eat that much. It's already hard to eat my five fruit and vegetables a day. Do you eat 6 to 11 servings everyday? Do you follow the vegan food pyramid? Or you don't pay attention to it?

Thanks

**Risker** · Jul 3rd, 2012 01:13 PM

Can you post a link to this food pyramid?

**hermy** · Jul 3rd, 2012 07:49 PM

here you are: http://veganfoodpyramid.com/images/v...d-1024x768.jpg

**Risker** · Jul 3rd, 2012 07:59 PM

Thanks. It doesn't say what a serving is but I think I agree with you, that does sound a lot. I don't think I'd manage that. It also has the old 8 glasses of water a day thing on it which isn't really necessary.

**Robinwomb** · Jul 3rd, 2012 09:38 PM

I average about six servings of grains per day (sometimes more or less but eleven would be stretching it by far and under four servings I would feel too deprived), six to eight servings of vegetables and fruits, several servings of beans and/or nuts/nut or seed butters etc), usually a glass or two of almond milk, a serving or two of some kind of fat (if not having nuts or seeds that day). I had one cup cooked oatmeal this morning (with buckwheat groats, blueberries, banana) but that one cup cooked would be two servings so I can see how the servings could add up. A sandwich would be two servings of grains. A cup of cooked rice would be two grains. A serving is supposed to be a half cup of cooked rice but honestly I need more than that to fill me up. I am fairly active.

I tried to follow the food pyramid at first and did some research on vegan nutrition but over time I have experimented to figure out what works for me and the above is usually it. No idea if it matches the food pyramid as I haven't looked at it for a long time. I do make a point to try to get in some nutritional yeast three or four times a week and every day consume at least two cups of leafy greens (usually in a smoothie or salad...today for example was a raw kale salad with cooked quinoa and an orange mixed in. I will have asparagus with dinner). I do this for the iron and calcium and usually stick with the more calcium rich greens but not always. I also make a point to get in some kind of fat each day (coconut, avocado, nuts or seeds, an oil, etc.) and good quality proteins (I do rely on grains for this sometimes too). Oh, and at least once a week I make some sort of treat, usually involving chocolate.