food pyramid

noun

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)

Examples of food pyramid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mayo Clinic diet Designed by Mayo Clinic, this 12-week diet program follows a food pyramid with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, most of which have low calorie density, according to U.S. News. —Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025

Phytoplankton, tiny plants at the base of the Gulf of Maine’s food pyramid, is 65% less productive than 25 years ago. —Dr. Rob Moir, Boston Herald, 6 Dec. 2024

Saladino contends that the traditional food pyramid, with its broad base of plant foods that narrows into animal foods, is upside down and that the medical establishment’s view that high cholesterol causes heart disease is wrong. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 25 June 2024

A little over a decade ago, the U.S. government’s classic food pyramid was replaced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s MyPlate, showing what a typical healthy, balanced meal should look like. —Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

food pyramid

noun

: a series of levels of ecological food relationships arranged by levels in which a chief predator is at the top, each level preys on the next lower level, and green plants are usually at the bottom