"Asia" represents an enormous land mass that contains a large variety of peoples, cultures and cuisines. The Healthy Traditional Asian Diet Pyramid was inspired by the cuisines of South and East Asia, including such countries as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and other related Pacific Rim areas.

This pyramid is intended to stimulate further thinking and dialogue worldwide about what constitutes healthy diets.

In traditional Asian diets, plant food contributes the core of the daily intake, whereas food from animals is more peripheral.  Plant-based foods commonly consumed in Asia include rice and other grains, noodles, flatbreads, potatoes, fruits and vegetables (including sea vegetables), nuts, seeds, beans, various soy foods, other legumes, vegetable and nut oils, herbs and spices, and plant-based beverages including tea, wine and beer.

This diet, when consumed in sufficient amounts, provides all of the known essential vitamins and minerals, fiber and other substances believed to promote health. 

Minimal processing and freshness of foods maximizes contents of dietary fiber, antioxidants and nutrients.

Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are generally low in the diets of East and South Asia. This general lack of dairy products in the diet may raise concerns in the United States and Europe where dairy foods are well regarded for their calcium and are thought by many to inhibit the development of osteoporosis.  However, the plant-based, dairy-free diets of much of Asia are associated with low incidence of osteoporosis. In fact, it is in the diets of Western countries where calcium intake in the form of dairy products is the highest that osteoporosis is the highest.

adapted from
Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust  

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