Healthy Food Pyramid Guide: What you should be eating everyday!The healthy food pyramid guide set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a new outlook on how we decide what foods to eat each day. The healthy food pyramid is broken into six food groups:
grains (orange)
vegetables (green) fruit (red) oils (yellow) dairy (blue) meat & beans (purple) Each band width in the pyramid represents the percentage of that food group that should be eaten in a day.
For example, the oils band is very thin meaning this should be an extremely small part of your daily calories. Also, the person climbing the stairs represents exercise which you should get each day as well!
Healthy Food Pyramid Guide By Food Group:GRAINS:According to the USDA, you should strive to make half your daily grain choices WHOLE GRAINS (I personally try to make nearly all my grain choices whole grain). Look on the box for the words Whole Grain or Whole Wheat when buying bread, pasta or cereal. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel while refined grains(like "enriched flour" or "bleached flour") have been processed and much of the fiber has been removed. VEGETABLES: Eat a wide variety of vegetables. The more colors you eat, the more nutrients you are getting! Try red peppers, oranges and dark leafy veggies to add taste and nutrition to your diet. The average adult should consume between 2 cups and 3 cups of vegetables each day according to the USDA. FRUIT: Eat a wide variety of fruits as well. Do remember that often times fruits contain more calories, so try to eat more vegetables than fruits on a daily basis. Again, eat a wide variety including apples, grapes, berries and citrus! Canned fruit, frozen fruit and 100% fruit juice also count as a serving. Just remember to go easy on the fruit juice because the calories can add up fast! The average adult should consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day according to the USDA. OILS: Stay away from "bad fats" like saturated fat and trans fats (partially hydrogenated oil). Eat a small amount of healthy fats from foods like avocados, olive oil, fish and nuts. The average adult should consume no more than 6 teaspoons of oil each day according to the USDA. DAIRY: Look for low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheeses. The USDA recommends 3 servings a day for the average adult. MEAT & BEANS: Try to eat lean meat like poultry, fish and lean beef. Beans and nuts are also good sources of protein. Try baking, grilling or broiling your meat instead of frying. The average adult should consume between 5 oz and 6 oz of protein daily according to the USDA.
To find out exactly how the food pyramid guide fits for you and your children, visit the U.S.D.A's
pyramid website!
It's a great way to find out your exact needs based on height, weight, age and physical activity.
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