food pyramid

English

Etymology

So called from its pyramid shape.

Noun

food pyramid (plural food pyramids)

1. A pyramid-shaped diagram in layers, where each layer represents a group of animals that feeds on the layer below.

   The teacher reminded us to always start the food pyramid with the plants on the bottom.

2. (nutrition, US) Any pyramidal diagram giving advice on how to eat healthily, particularly those widely publicized by the United States government.

   The food pyramid surprised me by showing that we should eat lots of cheese.

Translations

pyramid-shaped diagram in layers representing groups of animals

• Finnish: ravintopyramidi (fi)

pyramidal diagram giving advice for healthy eating

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 食物金字塔 (sik⁶ mat⁶ gam¹ zi⁶ taap³)

  Mandarin: 食物金字塔 (shíwù jīnzìtǎ), 飲食金字塔／饮食金字塔 (yǐnshí jīnzìtǎ)

• Finnish: ruokakolmio (fi)
• French: pyramide alimentaire f
• Turkish: besin piramidi

Further reading

• ecological pyramid on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• food pyramid (nutrition) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070726014831/http://www.mypyramid.gov/ gives information on the current US food pyramid