No one food gives you all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. So it is best to eat a variety of different foods every day.
Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help you eat better every day-the Dietary Guidelines way. Start with plenty of Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta, Vegetables, and Fruits. Add two to three servings from the Milk group and two to three servings from the Meat group. Go easy on fats, oils and sweets, the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid.
The Food Guide Pyramid is a guide for choosing a healthful diet. No one food supplies all the nutrients needed to stay healthy. It is best to eat a variety of different foods from the five food groups of the Food Guide Pyramid to provide essential nutrients.
The Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group:The base or bottom of the Food Guide Pyramid is the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group. This group forms the foundation of healthful diets. Grains and cereals have vitamins, minerals, and fiber, are low in fat, are filling and there are so many to choose from. Depending on your age and activity level the recommendation is for 6-11 servings from the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta group each day.
The Fruit and Vegetable Groups:The two groups above the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta group are the Vegetable Group and the Fruit group. The Vegetable group provides many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, B vitamins, iron, and calcium. This group provides fiber as well as flavor, bright colors and not very many calories. The recommended number of servings for the Vegetable group is 2-3 each day.
The Fruit group provides many of the same nutrients as the Vegetable group. There are many kinds of fruits and they are available in many forms: fresh, frozen, dried, and canned. The recommended number of servings for the Fruit group is 2-4 each day. A good rule is to eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
The Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group and The Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group:The last two groups of the Food Guide Pyramid are the Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group and the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group. The recommended number of servings from these two groups is 2-3 servings per group each day. The Milk group provides essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, protein and vitamins. The Meat group is very important in providing essential minerals like iron and zinc, as well as protein.
The Fats, Oils, and Sweets Group:
The top of the Food Guide Pyramid is the Fats, Oils and Sweets group. Perhaps exciting, but use sparingly is the recommendation on number of servings per day!!
Fruits
1 medium whole fruit
3/4 cup of juice
1/2 cup canned fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
Vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 cup tossed salad
1 medium potato
3/4 cup vegetable juice
1/2 cup raw chopped vegetables
Milk
1 cup milk
8 ounces yogurt
1 1/2 ounces natural cheese
2 ounces processed cheese
1 1/2 cup ice cream
1 cup frozen yogurt
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or fish
2 eggs
1 cup cooked beans
4 tablespoons peanut butter
Fats, Oils, and Sweets (Use Sparingly!!)
The small tip of the Pyramid shows fats, oils, and sweets. These are foods such as salad dressings, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, and candies. Go easy on these foods because they have a lot of calories from fat and sugars, but few nutrients.
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Woman & Children, Teen boys and
some older teen girls, active men
adults active women,
most men
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Bread
Group 6 9 11
Vegetable
Group 3 4 5
Fruit
Group 2 3 4
Milk
Group *2-3 *2-3 *2-3
Meat
Group 2 2 3
-------------------------------------------------------------*Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers, and young adults to age 24 need 3 servings.
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Food Food Group(s) # Servings, or
Serving Size
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Apple
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Banana Split
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Bread
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Cereal
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Carrot
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Celery
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Spaghetti
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Submarine Sandwich
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Tacos
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Chicken
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Tomato
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Wine
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Pancakes
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Peach
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Pear
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Peas
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Fruit Pie
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Pepperoni Pizza
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Cheeseburger
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Hot dogs
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Ice cream cone
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Jello
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Mushrooms
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Onions
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Cookies
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Cherries
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Eggs and bacon
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French fries
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Grapes
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Doughnuts
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Baked Potatoes
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Cheese
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Soft Drink
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Milk
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Ham
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Fish
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How many ways can you combine the sample food bag foods below to make interesting and nutritious meals for a family of 4?
rice
canned pears
Rice Crispies
dried navy beans
hot dogs
tomato sauce
canned green beans
spaghetti sauce
canned corn
bread
corn meal
peanut butter
tuna
salad dressing
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Menus: Food Bag Supplemental
Foods Used: Foods Needed:
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