| Food Guide Pyramid for Healthier Living | ||
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What are the best foods to eat to achieve a truly healthful lifestyle? The Food Guide Pyramid is a good general guide to help you choose a healthy, well-balanced diet. It consists of five basic food | |
| groups that contain many different, healthy foods. If you follow the Pyramid’s guidelines, you will consume the nutrients you need while staying within recommended limits for calories, sugars, fats and cholesterol. It is best to eat a variety of foods recommended by the Pyramid to ensure that you get at wide range of nutrients required for optimum health and energy. | ||
| A good rule to follow is to eat at least the lowest number
of recommended servings of every single food group, every single day (even
the small amounts of sweets, fats and oils at the tiny tip of the Pyramid!).
Following is the recommended servings for each food group: Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group: 6-11 servings Be careful to consider portion size! A plate of spaghetti for dinner may count for three or more “servings”. Examples of one serving include: ½ cup pasta, ½ cup rice, 1 slice bread, ½ bagel, 1 cup cold cereal, ½ cup hot cereal. Milk Group: 2-3 servings Examples of one serving include: 1 cup (8 oz.) of milk or yogurt, 2 cups of cottage cheese or 1½ cups of ice milk, ice cream or frozen yogurt, and about 2 slices of cheese. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group: 2-3 servings An average woman needs about 50 grams of protein per day; an average man about 63 grams. Examples of one serving include: 2-3 ounces of meat, poultry or fish, 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons peanut butter, ½ cup nuts or seeds. Vegetables: 3-5 servings Consuming the minimum recommended amount of vegetables and fruits (below) is essential to ensure that you get your daily supply of important vitamins and minerals. Examples of one serving include: ½ cup cooked vegetables, 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup vegetable juice. Fruits: 2-4 servings Examples of one serving include: 1 whole piece of fruit, ½ cup fruit juice, ½ cup canned fruit. Fats, Oils and Sweets: use sparingly Fats, oils and sweets, located in the tiny tip of the Food Pyramid, should be eaten lightly. A good rule of thumb is to limit fat to 30% of your daily calories. Fiber Make sure to include 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day. Fiber is very important for bowel function and for creating a feeling of fullness and well-being. Water Try to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. This will keep your system moving efficiently, your skin glowing and your eyes sparkling! |
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