Where Do Your Favorite Foods Fit?
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Where do youryour favoritefavorite foodsfoods fit? pizza a lot. like “If I try “I What f to Putting the ood fo gro llow id, up is it in?” the Pyram Guidelines doe s th ” into Practice at mean d? foo March 2003 it says no more fast hen “W o 11 servin Center for ‘6 t gs’ o Nutrition Policy f gra how ins, and Promotion ma United States ny sh ould I eat?” Department of Agriculture Home and Garden Have you ever looked at the Food Guide Why is following the Bulletin No. 267-3 Pyramid and asked questions like these? If so, Pyramid a good idea? this brochure is for you. It will show you how The Food Guide Pyramid (Figure 1) is a good to follow the Pyramid and fit the foods you starting point for your food choices. Choosing like to eat—such as pizza, fast foods, and foods according to the Pyramid can help you mixed dishes—into a healthy way to eat. It get all the nutrients and other things, such as will also help you personalize the Pyramid fiber, that you need for health. No single for your own needs. food or food group supplies all the nutri- ents in the amounts you need—so choose the recommended number of servings from each Pyramid food group. Where do your favorite foods fit? Page 2 Following the Pyramid can also help Figure 1. Food Guide Pyramid you keep the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat low, and keep total fat intake at a moderate level.You can do this by Fats, Oils, & Sweets KEY USE SPARINGLY Fat (naturally occurring Sugars choosing mostly fat-free or low-fat items from and added) (added) These symbols show fat and the Milk group, and mostly lean or low-fat added sugars in foods. items from the Meat and Beans group. Milk, Yogurt, Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, & Cheese Group Eggs, & Nuts Group Using the Pyramid as a guide (Milk Group) (Meat and Beans Group) 2-3 SERVINGS 2-3 SERVINGS TO Like the Pyramid, your food choices should be TOTAL 5 TO 7 OUNCES built on a base of plant foods—grains, fruits, and vegetables. Start with foods from these Vegetable Group Fruit Group three groups as the foundation of your diet. 3-5 SERVINGS 2-4 SERVINGS Choose a variety of different foods— especially in the Grains,Fruit,and Vegetable groups.Include dark-green leafy vegetables Bread, Cereal, Rice, and dry beans or peas several times a week— & Pasta Group (Grains Group) they are rich in many vitamins and minerals. 6-11 SERVINGS Also eat several servings of whole grains each day—whole grains How much do you need from each group? contain fiber and other The Pyramid gives a range of servings for protective substances. each group. The number of servings you need Each food group contains many choices. depends on your calorie and nutrient needs. For example, you may start some days with These are based on your age, sex, and level of cereal—from the Grains group. Other days physical activity. you may choose toast. Or, you may prefer Check Box 1 to see how many servings you tortillas or rice.All of these are good ways need from each food group. For example, if to get some grain foods into your morning. you are an inactive woman, you should choose Yo u m ay h av e y o u r o w n personal choice: the number of daily servings from each food Popcorn for breakfast, anyone? group in the Pyramid on the left—6 servings In the Milk group, you may prefer yogurt, from the Grains group,3 from the Vegetable or lactose-free or lactose-reduced milk prod- group,and so forth. If you become physically ucts.Also, soy-based beverages with added active, your food needs will increase and you calcium are an option if you want a non-dairy can choose more servings from each group. source of calcium. There are many choices in Other family members may have different each food group. However, if you avoid all calorie and nutrient needs. For example, a foods from any of the food groups, man may need more servings from each ask a health care professional to group—9 servings of grains, 4 of vegetables, help you make choices that have etc.A teenage boy may need even more— all the nutrients you need. perhaps 11 servings of grains, 5 of vegetables, etc. Box 1 can help you find the recommenda- tions for each family member. Where do your favorite foods fit? Page 3 Box 1. How many Pyramid servings do YOU need? Find the number of servings that are right for you: Children 2 to 6, most women, Older children, teen girls, Teen boys, some older adults active women, most men active men (about 1,600 calories) (about 2,200 calories) (about 2,800 calories) Fats, Oils, & Fats, Oils, & Fats, Oils, & Sweets Sweets Sweets Use sparingly Use sparingly Use sparingly Milk Group Milk Group Milk Group 2 or 3 * Meat and 2 or 3 * Meat and 2 or 3 * Meat and servings Beans Group servings Beans Group servings Beans Group 5 ounces 6 ounces 7 ounces Vegetable Vegetable Vegetable Group Fruit Group Fruit Group Fruit 3 servings Group 4 servings Group 5 servings Group 2 servings 3 servings 4 servings Grains Grains Grains Group Group Group 6 servings 9 servings 11 servings = 1 serving = 1 ounce *Older children and teens 9 to 18 and adults over 50 need 3 servings from the Milk group. Others need 2 servings daily. How do your choices stack up? Check the number of servings you usually eat in each group to see how your choices match Pyramid recommendations. Remember—your portion may be more than one serving. Box 2. What counts as a Pyramid serving? Grains Group Milk Group ● 1 slice of bread ● 1 cup of milk or yogurt ● About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal flakes ● 11⁄2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar) ● 1⁄2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta ● 2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American) Vegetable Group Meat and Beans Group ● 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables The Pyramid recommends 2 to 3 servings for a total of 5 to ● 1⁄2 cup of other vegetables—cooked or raw* 7 ounces. The following all count as 1 ounce equivalent: ● ● 3⁄4 cup of vegetable juice 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish ● 1 Fruit Group ⁄2 cup of cooked, dry beans* ● 1⁄2 cup of tofu or 21⁄2-ounce soyburger ● 1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear ● 1 egg ● 1⁄2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit ● 2 tablespoons of peanut butter ● 3⁄4 cup of fruit juice ● 1⁄3 cup of nuts *Dry beans, peas, and lentils can be counted as servings in either the Meat and Beans group or the Vegetable group. As a vegetable, 1⁄2 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as 1 serving. As a meat substitute, 1⁄2 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as 1 ounce of meat. Where do your favorite foods fit? Page 4 Box 3. Mixed dishes—How do they contribute to Pyramid food groups? NOTE: The values listed are estimates based on how these foods are often prepared. The amounts in an item you eat may be more or less than these examples. Pyramid servings in this portion Meat and Fat, Food and Grains Vegetable Fruit Milk Beans Group % Daily sample portion Group Group Group Group (oz. equiv.) Value* Cheese pizza (2 medium slices) 21⁄2 1⁄2 0 1⁄2 019 Lasagna (1 piece 31⁄2”by 4”) 11⁄2 1⁄2 0 1⁄2 123 Macaroni and cheese 2001⁄2 030 (1 cup, made from packaged mix) Tuna noodle casserole (1 cup) 11⁄2 001⁄2 229 Spinach quiche (1 piece) 1 1⁄2 0 1⁄2 1⁄2 40 Chicken pot pie (8 oz. pie) 21⁄2 1⁄2 0011⁄2 43 Beef taco (2) 21⁄2 1⁄2 0 1⁄4 240 Bean and cheese burrito (1) 21⁄2 1⁄4 01144 Egg roll (1) 1⁄2 1⁄4 001⁄2 10 Chicken fried rice (1 cup) 11⁄2 1⁄2 00119 Rice and beans (1 cup) 11⁄2 00011⁄2 17 Stuffed peppers with 1⁄2 100119 rice and meat (1⁄2 pepper) Beef stir-fry (1 cup) 0 11⁄2 0011⁄2 16 Clam chowder–New England (1 cup) 1⁄2 1⁄4 0 1⁄2 31⁄2 8 Cream of tomato soup (1 cup) 1⁄2 101⁄2 07 Double cheeseburger (with mayo) 31⁄2 1⁄2 0 1⁄2 21⁄2 54 Italian sub (6” sub) 2 1⁄2 0 1⁄2 21⁄2 58 Peanut butter & jelly sandwich (1) 2000122 Tuna salad sandwich (1) 2 1⁄2 00211 Chef salad (3 cups, no dressing) 030035 Pasta salad with vegetables (1 cup) 11⁄2 100024 Apple pie (1 slice) 2 0 1⁄2 0025 Pumpkin pie (1 slice) 11⁄2 1⁄4 0 1⁄4 1⁄4 22 What other mixed dishes do you enjoy? List them below and “guess-timate” their servings from the food groups: Grains Vegetable Fruit Milk Meat and Food and portion servings servings servings servings beans servings *The % Daily Value (%DV) shows how much of the recommended daily limit for fat is in these sample portions of food. %DVs are based on recommendations for a 2,000-calorie diet. The %DV in this table can be compared to the %DV listed on Nutrition Facts labels on food packages.