The Okinawa Food Pyramid

This food guide is actually The Okinawa Diet Calorie Density Pyramid. It is reportedly based on 25 years of research and follows the eating habits of residents of Okinawa, Southern Japan. Unlike most other food pyramids, Okinawa’s uses caloric density as its base principle. It encourages the consumption of more low caloric density foods than high caloric density foods. Low caloric density foods include bean sprouts, fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups and soymilk. The four step pyramid labels the food groups as featherweights, lightweights, middleweights and heavyweights. At the base is the featherweight food group with low caloric density with heavyweights being those with the highest caloric density. The heavyweight food group which occupies the tip of the pyramid includes chocolate, cheese, nuts and oil; these should be consumed sparingly. Lightweight foods should be eaten in moderation and include turkey breast, shrimp, cooked beans, cooked whole grains and low-fat yogurt. Middleweight foods such as soy cheese, certain types of fish (red fatty varieties), lean meats and breads should be consumed with due consideration given to portion size. Tea should be drunk daily and alcohol can also be consumed in moderation. The Okinawa Food Pyramid provides the caloric density of various food types to serve as a guide. This food section guide is also useful in weight management and maintenance.

The caloric density for the different groups is:

Featherweights: less than 0.7
Lightweights: 0-8 – 1.5
Middleweights: 1.6 – 3.0
Heavyweights: over 3.0

How to calculate caloric density

Divide calories per servings by the amount of grams of the serving

There are variations to the Okinawa Food Pyramid, with some more suited to western life as they give serving sizes. The most common variation is six-tiered, with the base recommending 6-13 servings of vegetables and whole grains. The next tiers are:

5th: 2-4 servings of fruits/flavored foods/calcium foods
4th: 1-3 servings of Omega-3 foods
3rd: 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil and condiments
2nd: 0-7 servings of meat, poultry and eggs
tip: 0-3 servings (this is optional but should only be had weekly rather than daily)