The food pyramid is ripe for a refresh. We shouldn’t be afraid of red meat and eggs in 2025, it’s now common knowledge that they aren’t the enemy. And the mainstream media are slowly putting things together…
A new health renaissance is upon us, and that starts with redefining the food pyramid. Here’s our take, with some notes for why we put certain foods in certain categories. Feel free to leave a comment to share your perspective 🥂
MINIMIZE
These are the foods we want to avoid at all costs. The original food pyramid places fats and oils here, and in my opinion that’s just lazy. Not all fats are equal, heck not even all seed oils are the same. Some oils like black seed oil have incredible health benefits and we shouldn’t be reductionists.
We want to minimize exposure to unquestionably harmful foods and substances. This means avoiding industrial seed oils by switching to healthier cooking fats at home and avoiding most fried food in public. Skip fast food loaded with questionable ingredients and preservatives, so much so it doesn’t even get moldy. Minimize blue light exposure after sunset to optimize your circadian rhythm. Avoid artificial dyes as they can alter behavior and disrupt hormone production, especially in children.
CONSUME SPARINGLY
Foods in this category are generally ok if sourced the right way but may be compromised by environmental factors beyond our control. Contaminants in big fish is something we have to be concerned about. Smaller fish like sardines harbor lower levels of mercury compared to bigger fish like tuna. Commercial pork is often raised in extremely poor conditions. And of course, pastries. See, while I love a good pain au chocolat as much as anyone, for a food pyramid for the WORLD it has to be limited. Pastries & treats included.
OCCASIONALLY
Foods in this category should be consumed on occasion. It doesn't mean they're bad, they're just something you wouldn't consume everyday (in certain circumstances)
Broth: could be a staple for most, but those with a histamine intolerance might struggle with daily consumption
Coffee: incredibly easy to be over-reliant, average person should exercise restraint and use coffee the right way. If you’re not sure how to utilize coffee effectively, read this:
Organs: While it’s a good thing that more people are aware of the benefits of organ meats in recent years, you shouldn’t over-do it. Eating too much, especially with something like beef liver will skew your micronutrient balances. Aim for 1-3x per week or tiny portions daily. Watch your copper:zinc ratios.
Vegetables: We need vegetables, they just have to be prepared and cooked the right way. Some, like carrots may be best consumed raw (depending on your specific goals) whereas something like spinach would be best cooked in fat to increase bioavailability.
Rice, potatoes & oats: I've come to the conclusion that the amount of carbohydrates you consume daily really depends on the individual and their physical needs. Some feel sluggish on consuming a higher percentage of carbs (especially with increased grain consumption) and would be better off getting most of their carbs from fruit. Whereas others exert themselves so much and they need something more satiating than fruit like a nice bowl of sprouted oats with fruit and honey.
Sourdough: A perfectly metabolically healthy person CAN consume sourdough and ancestral grain everyday. However, in certain instances, say when you're trying to resolve a gut issue, you would be better off eliminating sourdough during the immediate short term. That's the only reason why we didn't include it as a staple.
STAPLES
These are foods you want to be nourishing yourself with all the time. Beef. Poultry. Eggs. Fresh, seasonal fruit. Raw milk. Gelatinous cuts of meat. Butter. Salmon. Oysters. Real seafood. How much and what truly depends on your personal preferences. I’d say that most meals are formed on the basis of a really good protein source. Explore different meats and their various cuts. See what you like and what fits into your lifestyle, especially when it comes to prep and cooking techniques. These are your absolute staples.
It actually blows my mind how this is the official recommendation in 2025. Things need to change, and I have a feeling they will really soon.
Engage in deep leisure
You need to be living in two extremes
Eat more eggs
Eggs are the best food in the world
Standardized snacking
Snacking is incredibly healthy when done right
Home education
Why you should be educating your kids at home, as seen in Issue 33 of the WARKITCHEN
❋ A GUIDE TO MAKING HERB AND EDIBLE FLOWER PASTA
Edible flower pasta is made by laminating flowers or herb’s between two pieces of dough. Its an easy step that creates the most beautiful pasta, but that’s not all, the flowers and herbs can add flavour too.
I talked briefly about stained glass pasta on my in depth pasta blog post here, but I feel like it deserves a post all of its own. That way I can talk about which edible flowers and herbs work best and share some recipe suggestions with you.
If you are new to making pasta then i would love it if you go and check out that post first, as it gives you lots of tips on how to make the dough.
I love how the flowers look when you hold the pasta up to the light, they create a beautiful mosaic of colour like a painting.
The most irresistible Olive oil Bread Dip recipe packed with flavors from the dried and fresh herb.
It’s a simple yet elegant appetizer when paired with our No-knead bread, baguette, or any good artisan bread. This is always the first to go to parties!
The bonus is, it takes 5 minutes and 8 ingredients to make this dipping oil. My son ADORE this restaurant-style olive oil and herb bread dip.
❋ PRESERVED LEMON & ROSEMARY SOURDOUGH BREAD
The bright flavor of preserved lemons shines in this rustic rosemary sourdough bread that helps fill the void of sunshine in the deep winter. It’s that time of year that I crave citrus; luckily, preserved lemons highlight the beauty of seasonal citrus. Plus, the rosemary adds warmth and coziness to the bright lemony bread.
During recipe testing, I wasn’t satisfied with only using lemon zest in this sourdough. The lemon flavor continually got lost amidst the potent rosemary. Instead, using preserved lemons packs a punch of lemon flavor that infuses throughout.
❋ Read our latest WARKITCHEN magazines:
❋ Get your copy of Optimal Fuel: Your Nutrition Playbook here. It's a cookbook and nutrition guide — all in one. All proceeds go towards an outrageous amount of hearty ribeyes and raw honey!
❋ If you’d like to contribute an article or sponsor a future issue, please send your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.
❋ Explore the full WARKITCHEN archive here.
❋ Adding us (rocky@warkitchen.net) to your contacts, or moving us to primary, will make sure you continue receiving these emails. Connect with us on all our socials.
It is hard to imagine that 6-11 servings of carbs was ever considered appropriate... that is mind-boggling.