The food pyramid is a diagram of food that shows how much of a certain type of food should be eaten according to a person’s size and height. It was first created by the World Health Organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The food pyramid does not list foods that are consumed separately. Instead, it lists all the different types of foods, according to their portion size. The number on the left side of the pyramid should be proportional to the number of servings of that food you get per day.
Food is categorized into three main groups: dietary foods, nutraceuticals and nutritive substances. Dietary foods refer to those substances that are needed by the body to produce and maintain normal functioning. Nutraceuticals and nutritive substances are those substances that are necessary but not essential for nutrition. There are four main categories of food additives. These are artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives and food thickening agents.
Beans are considered to be a staple food in many parts of the world. Because of the rich nutritional value and wide variety of health-care and medical benefits, beans have been extensively used in the treatment of several ailments. Commercially, beans can also be used in several ways, such as in stir fries, in stews, in hot cereals, in chili, in puddings, in bean burritos, in pasta sauces and in snack foods such as cookies and candy. The advantage of eating beans regularly is that they are very low in fat, very rich in protein and contain very little saturated fat, salt and sugar.