food pyramid

American  

noun

Ecology.

1. successive levels of predation in a food chain represented schematically as a pyramid because upper levels normally consist of decreasing numbers of larger predators.

2. a diagram that represents a healthy diet by placing food groups in a pyramid according to the number of servings from each group to be eaten every day.

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food pyramid Scientific  

1. A graphic representation of the structure of a food chain, depicted as a pyramid having a broad base formed by producers and tapering to a point formed by end consumers. Between successive trophic levels, total biomass decreases as energy is lost from the system.

2. See more at trophic level

3. A pyramid-shaped diagram representing a set of dietary guidelines for humans, typically based on a recommended number of servings from each of several food groups. Foods along the broadest row, at the bottom, are considered basic to human nutrition and have the highest recommended number of servings. Foods in the narrowest part, at the top, are considered to be nonessential and have the fewest number of recommended servings. In the middle row or rows are foods whose recommended servings fall between those two groups.

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Etymology

Origin of food pyramid

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

A recent update of the federal dietary guidelines recommended Americans consume more protein and put beef atop the new food pyramid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Protein’s sheer prevalence prevails in the new year, especially in the wake of new dietary guidelines that place red meat at the very top of the food pyramid.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026

It also brought back the iconic food pyramid from the 1990s — but inverted it to underscore the value of protein and vegetables in a healthy diet.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 10, 2026

A new food pyramid, emphasizing proteins and vegetables, could indirectly benefit Deere by increasing demand for grain production for animal feed.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

My class is doing a play about the food pyramid.

From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine