food pyramid

noun

|Updated on: 4 Jul 2018

Definition of food pyramid

1 : an ecological hierarchy of food relationships in which a chief predator is at the top, each level preys on the next lower level, and usually green plants are at the bottom

2 : a pyramid-shaped depiction of recommended daily servings for different food groups (such as vegetables, grains, dairy products, and meats)

See food pyramid defined for kids

Recent Examples of food pyramid from the Web

According to the food pyramid of our elementary school days, protein is red, brown, and beige: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.

— sara angle, Outside Online, "Pea Protein Is the Best Protein," 19 June 2018
In the reality of feeding a struggling family, the food pyramid is irrelevant.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "Feeding Our Kids, In Fatness and in Health," 21 May 2018
The notion of nuance is perhaps at the top of my food pyramid of fiction interests—this is so different from the hot take of the moment and the headlines.

— thomas gebremedhin, WSJ, "Q&A with Meg Wolitzer: The Author of ‘The Female Persuasion’," 4 Apr. 2018
Beef jerky, dried apricots, granola and fig bars, apples, sunflower seeds and peanut butter sandwiches are the pillars of my fishing food pyramid.

— jordan rodriguez, idahostatesman, "5 ways to take your fishing trip to the next level | Idaho Statesman," 19 Mar. 2018
The concept was developed by Sam Fox and Dr. Andrew Weil with a menu based on the principles of Weil's anti-inflammatory food pyramid.

— katherine feser, Houston Chronicle, "Popbar desserts arrive in Texas with opening of Baybrook store," 26 Oct. 2017
My three-cup-a-day habit, the foundation of my personal food pyramid, is costing a fortune.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "National Coffee Day: Steaming hot tips on how to save on Keurig K-Cups | Doreen's Deals," 28 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'food pyramid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.