Dear Reader,
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid was developed based on research that suggests a diet that's primarily plant-based is the healthiest. Following a plant-based diet doesn’t mean that you need to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle in order to live healthy. Rather, it means that fruits and vegetables should make up the foundation of your daily meals.
Moving up the pyramid, you'll find additional food groups that are important to a healthy diet beyond fruits and vegetables. When eating carbohydrates, make sure to select whole-grain products such as whole-grain pasta and whole-wheat bread. They're better choices than their refined counterparts. When purchasing protein and dairy products, choose mainly lean or low-fat options. These include foods such as fish, lean poultry, beans and skim milk.
Some fat is important to a healthy diet but you want to include foods that contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats, such as nuts and olive oil. Finally, an occasional sweet is OK, but it shouldn’t be part of every meal.
Use the pyramid as a guide for making smart dietary choices to help you eat well and benefit from key nutrients found in different foods. Adhering to the core concepts of the pyramid also is an effective way to lose weight if that's one of your overall goals.
Yours in good health, | 
