American Food Pyramid vs. Japanese Food Pyramid

One of my schools has a poster of the Japanese food pyramid hanging up, and as I don't have many classes today, I decide to take the time to actually look at it. The food diagram is not a pyramid at all, but a spinning top.




At the top is exercise along with water or tea.

Then,

Staple Foods: 5-7 parts rice, bread, grain
Side Dish: 5-6 parts vegetables, mushroom, potato, seaweed
Main Dish: 3-5 parts meat, fish, egg, or soybean product
Milk/Dairy Products: 2 parts
Fruit: 2 parts

and finally, 200kcal for indulgences.

The American food pyramid has changed since I was a kid and is now known as MyPyramid. MyPyramid is no longer broken down into percentages, but into cups and ounces.




I will assume the walking man implies exercise. I will also assume that he is running up those steps multiple times.

Grains: 6 oz of grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta (where 3 oz should be whole grain)
Vegetables: 2.5 cups of dark green veggies, orange veggies, and dry beans and peas
Fruits: 2 cups
Milk: 3 cups with a preference on low-fat or fat-free
Meat & Beans: 5.5 oz of low-fat or lean meats and vary it with fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

with a footnote suggesting one to know their limits on fats, sugars, and salt.

The picture appears to suggest that grains, vegetables and milk should make up the bulk of one's diet, followed by fruits, then meat and beans.

As someone who has lost 26 lbs since moving to Japan (88kg to 76 kg, or 192lbs to 168lbs) , I have to say I prefer the Japanese table.

• The Japanese chart pushes for water and tea, which is completely missing on the American chart.
  
  
• The Japanese chart, correctly, puts milk at the bottom. As we all should know, milk is evil.
  
  
• The Japanese chart, correctly, puts fruit at the bottom. Fruit contains lots of sugar, which is why it should be a snack.
  
  
• The Japanese chart does not have a 'meat' section but a 'main dish' section, emphasizing fish and soybean products. The only picture of a fish on the American chart looks like canned tuna.
  
  
• The American grains chart pushes for breads over rice, whereas I am under the opinion that any bread that is not whole grain is bad for you and should be treated as a snack.

Food for thought.