TIPS

FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID

Here is the food guide pyramid: an outline of what to eat each day based on US government dietary guidelines. It's not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that's right for you. Developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is an excellent tool to help you make healthy food choices.

The food pyramid can help you choose from a variety of foods so you get the nutrients you need, and the suggested serving sizes can help you control the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium in your diet. The advice from the USDA is to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the five major food groups listed below. You need them for the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide.

Pick the lowest fat choices from the food groups. No specific serving size is given for the fats, oils, and sweets group because the message is: use sparingly.

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese

• 1 cup of milk or yogurt.
• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese.
• 2 ounces of processed cheese.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts

• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish.
• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans.
• 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat.

Vegetables

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables.
• 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw.
• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice.

Fruit

• 1 medium apple, banana, orange.
• 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit.
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice.

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta

• 1 slice of bread.
• 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal.
• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta.

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