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The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each
day based on the Dietary
Guidelines . It's not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you
choose a healthful diet that's right for you.
The Pyramid calls for eating a
variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right
amount of calories to maintain healthy weight.
Use the Pyramid to help you eat
better every day...the Dietary Guidelines way. Start with plenty of breads,
cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables, and fruits. Add 2-3 servings from the milk
group and 2-3 servings from the meat group. Remember to go easy on fats, oils,
and sweets, the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid.
The amount of food that counts as one serving is listed
below. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving. For
example, a dinner portion of spaghetti would count as 2 or 3 servings of pasta.
Be sure 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. Just try to 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,
Yoghurt, and Cheese |
||
|
1 cup of milk or yoghurt |
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese |
2 ounces of process 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 |
|
Vegetable |
||
|
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 |
