Introduction
- Malaysian Food Pyramid is a simple guide for individuals to vary their foods intake according to the total daily food serving recommended.
- A balanced diet contains the combination of foods that will provide all the nutrients needed by our body. There is no single food that will provide us with the all nutrients needed. The body needs many types of food in varying amounts to maintain health.
- A food pyramid consists of four (4) levels that represent five (5) food group. Indicated beside each food group is the recommended number of servings per day from each group.
- From the bottom to the top of the food pyramid, the size of each food group becomes smaller indicating that an individual should eat more of the foods at the base of the pyramid and less of the foods at the top of the pyramid.
Food Groups and Level
For bigger view in Bahasa Malaysia, you may see it here : |
Level 4 (peak) |
Level 3 ½ – 2 serving of poultry, meat and egg / day 1 – 3 servings of milk and dairy product. |
|
Level 2 3 servings of vegetables / day |
|
Level 1 (base) 4 – 8 servings / day |
Level 1 :
Rice, noodles, bread, cereal, cereal products and tubers |
|
Level 2 :
Fruits and vegetables |
|
Level 3 :
Fish, poultry, meat and legumes |
|
Aras 3 :
Milk and dairy products |
|
Aras 4 :
Fats, oils, sugar and salt |
|
Number of servings recommende based on calorie needed
Table 1: Distribution of Number of Servings According to Food Groups Based on Calorie Value
Food group | 1500 kcal/day 1 | 2000 kcal/day 2 | 2500 kcal/day 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Cereals and grains | 4 servings | 6 servings | 8 servings |
Fruits | 2 servings | 2 servings | 2 servings |
Vegetables | 3 servings | 3 servings | 3 servings |
Meat/poultry Fish Legumes |
½ serving 1 serving ½ serving |
1 serving 1 serving 1 serving |
2 servings 1 serving 1 serving |
Milk and dairy products | 1 serving | 2 servings | 3 servings |
1 Suitable for sedentary women and older adult.
2 Suitable for children, teenage girls, moderately active women and sedentary men.
3 Suitable for teenage boys, active men, very active women and underweight men and women.
Reference
Ministry of Health (2010). Malaysian Dietary Guidelines. Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya.
Last reviewed | : | 11 September 2012 |
Writer | : | Jamilah bt. Ahmad |
: | Surainee bt. Wahab | |
: | Azlinda bt. Hamid | |
: | Munawara bt. Pardi | |
Reviewer | : | Zuhaida bt. Harun |