Student Nutrition :: Nutrition Corner / The Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid is designed as an easy way to show the groups of foods that make up a good diet.

It also tells you that you need to eat a variety of foods from all five groups and how much of the foods from the different groups you should eat to stay healthy.

To help you build a healthy diet, the Food Guide Pyramid gives the number of servings you should eat from each category.

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group (6-11 servings)

The bottom group, should be the biggest part of what you eat all day. This group are great sources of carbohydrates, the energy nutrient. So for all the power and energy be sure to eat all lot the the bread group. If you play in sports you would eat a lot of this group to keep up in your game!

Vegetable Group (3-5 servings) use dark green, leafy vegetables and legumes

These foods are known for their contributions of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium and fiber and the lack of fat and cholesterol.

Good First Choice	Second Choice	Limit Selections
Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn, Green Beans, Eggplant, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Lettuce, Tomato, Okra, Squash	Candied Sweet Potatoes	French Fries, Scalloped Potatoes, Potato Salad

Fruit: (2-4 servings)

These foods are also known for their contributions of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, and the lack of sodium, fat and cholesterol. They also provide us with Carbohydrate!!

Good First Choice	Second Choice	Limit Selections
Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Oranges, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Bananas, Pears, Watermelon, and Unsweetened Juices	Canned or Frozen Fruit, Sweetened Juices	Dried Fruit, Coconut, Avocados, Olives

Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Alternatives: (2-3 servings)

This group are best known for their protein, phosphorus, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and their lack of fat and cholesterol. These foods are important to your diet, but remember you don't need to eat as many of it as the fruits, vegetables, and bread group that are at the bottom of the pyramid.

Good First Choice	Second Choice	Limit Selections
Poultry (Light Meat, No Skin), Fish, Shellfish, Legumes, Egg Whites	Lean Meat (Fat-Trimmed Beef, Lamb, Pork); Poultry (Dark Meat, No Skin); Ham; Refried Beans, Whole Eggs, Tofu	Hot Dogs, Ground Beef, Peanut Butter, Nuts, Bacon, Fried Fish or Poultry, Duck, Luncheon Meats

Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt: (2 servings)

Three servings for teenagers and young adults, pregnant/lactating women, 4 servings per day for pregnant/lactating teenagers. This group is best known for their calcium, riboflavin, protein, vitamin B12, and when fortified vitamins D and A.

Good First Choice	Second Choice	Limit Selections
Non-Fat and 1% Milk or Yogurt, and Nonfat Products Such as Buttermilk, Cottage Cheese, Cheese, Yogurt, Fortified Milk.	2% Reduced Fat Milk, and Low Fat products Such as Yogurt, Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Chocolate Milk, Sherbet, Ice Milk	Whole Milk, Whole Milk Products Such as Cheese, Yogurt, Custard, Milk Shakes, Ice Cream

Fats, Sweets, Oils: (Use Sparingly)

These foods carry a lot of the calories but carry very few nutrients. They sit up at the top of the food guide pyramid, which means that your body should have smaller amounts of them. So when it comes to the fatty, oily, sugary foods, people should use them sparingly. Eat only a little bit and don't eat them very often.