Does TVP count as a vegetable, or protein on the food pyramid?!
Answers: And is the food pyramid valid? I've heard off and on that it was of no value, then it's great again. What's the latest?
TVP would count as a high protein food.
If you are talking about the American food pyramid(s)... which one? The pyramid has been changed a lot lately, and the last time I checked there were several pyramids to cater to different people.
The food pyramid can be a great tool, but it depends on the person. The biggest portions of the pyramid belong to grains, fruits, and vegetables. Someone could follow these guidelines and eat whole wheat bread, an apple, and broccoli. Someone else might follow the pyramid and eat refined white bread, chopped fruit in syrup, and onion rings.
I would agree with JR and that it is a protein on the food pyramid, because even though the source is vegetables it is only the protein extracted from them. And thus the perplexing thing of the American Food Pyramid! It tries to compartmentalize food into those six or seven or now five categories and food is really made up of all those compartments. We can't look at food as a Calorie, Fat, Saturated Fat, and maybe now Transfat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. This is not what food should be made to be. The pyramid will change depending on what lobby still has some power in the FDA and can demand their product be included. People need to start making their own food and not the supermarket/food companies in my opinion.
Protein.
The food pyramid is valid and always was. It has been updated a few times. People who say it was of no value are misinformed. Misinformation about nutrition is common.
It's actually from soy, not vegetables (contradictory to the name), so it's no more a vegetable than tofu.