Eating Your Pyramid

The food pyramid.

For so many years, the government here in the US, used the concept of a pyramid to give information on what ratio of different types of food should be eaten. At the top of the pyramid were fats, oils and sweets. Milk, yogurt and eggs was next and meats, poultry, fish, beans and nuts was third. The next level had fruits and vegetables (in equal amounts). Finally, the bottom level was bread, cereal, rice and pasta.

While there have been many iterations of this pyramid over the years, this is the one that I think of (it is now a “plate” with a higher percentage of fruits and vegetables and reduced level of grains and pasta). When reducing carbs came into style, this pyramid was often changed dramatically with grains having the smallest share and vegetables standing alone at the bottom.

When I was a kid, this pyramid was everywhere. I saw it on cereal boxes (those making money off of grains loved this pyramid), public service commercials and all over the school lunchroom. It never occurred to me then, and to be honest, not until this year, that different countries had their own version of the food pyramid. Well, in fact they do. While there are some differences in advice (France doesn’t have grains needing to be more plentiful than vegetables) and format (Germany has a 3D pyramid, France has steps, the UK has a plate and Hungary has a house), they all are generally similar. Take a look at the slide show of various pyramids here.

Spicy Black Bean Tacos with Tangy Slaw

These vegetarian tacos are surprisingly filling and taste awesome.

This hits may parts of the pyramid with tortillas (grains), vegetables (lettuce, onion, cilantro), fruits (lime and tomato – yes, a tomato is a fruit treated like a veggie), beans, oils and dairy (cheese).

Cook the onions and jalapeños.

The best way to fill tacos, en masse.

Oh man….I want more of these.

Whether it is a pyramid, plate or house, these tacos will fit your nutritional needs.

Spicy Black Bean Tacos with Tangy Slaw

prep 30 mins ∙ source Recipe.com
INGREDIENTS

3 cups coleslaw mix
7 pickled jalapeno slices, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons brine
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
12 corn tortillas, lightly toasted
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, toss coleslaw mix with jalapeno brine.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add chopped jalapenos and cook 1 minute more. Add beans and water and cook, stirring frequently and lightly mashing, until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes.

Divide bean mixture among tortillas and top with coleslaw mix, tomatoes, cotija and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 300, Fat, total (g) 6, sat. fat (g) 0.5, carb. (g) 55, fiber (g) 12, pro. (g) 15, sodium (mg) 588, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet