The Food Pyramid, as developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is considered to be an excellent tool as it helps you make healthy food choices, choose from a variety of foods to obtain the nutrients needed. In addition, the suggested serving sizes can help you control the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium in your diet.

The tip of the pyramid represents Fats, Oils and Sweets: salad dressing, oil butter, margarine, cream, soft drinks, candy and sweet desserts. They contain high caloric values and provide few nutrients. Dairy and Meat groups come mostly from animals. Most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables for the vitamins, minerals and fiber they provide. At the base of the Pyramid, we find foods that are from grain origin. Servings of these foods are needed every day.

The importance of Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta.

The importance of Vegetables.

The importance of Fruits.

The importance of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts.

The importance of Milk, Yogurt and Cheese.

The importance of Fats, Oils and Sweets.

Distribution of servings according to calories needed each day.

The importance of Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta:

These foods are an important source of energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber, because they provide complex carbohydrates.

6-11 servings are needed each day

One serving

1 slice bread	½ Bagel or English Muffin
1 medium Muffin	4 Small Crackers
1 Tortilla	1 Cup cooked Cereal
½ Hot Dog/Hamburger Bun	½ Cup cooked rice/pasta

Tips: Baked goods made from flour, such as cakes, cookies, croissants, and pastries, count as part of this food group, but they are high in fat and sugars.

The importance of Vegetables:

Good source of vitamins A & C, folate, iron magnesium and fiber. 3-5 servings of this food group are suggested each day.

One serving

½ Cup cooked Vegetables	½ Cup raw Chopped Vegetables
½ to ¾ Cup Vegetable Juice	1 Cup Raw Leafy Vegetables

Tips: Different types of vegetables provide different nutrients.

The importance of Fruits:

They provide important amounts of Vitamins A & C and potassium. They are low in fat and sodium. 2-4 servings are suggested

One serving

1 Whole Medium Fruit (about 1 cup)	¼ Cup Dried Fruit
½ Cup Canned Fruit	½ to ¾ Cup Fruit Juice

Tips: Eat whole fruits often - they are higher in fiber than fruit juices.

The importance of Meat, Poultry, Fish,
Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts

They supply protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc.

2-3 servings are recommended each day – equivalent to 5-7 oz

One serving

2 Eggs	4 tablespoons Peanut Butter
7 oz (200 gr.) of Tofu	½ Cup Nuts or Seeds
1 Cup cooked legumes (dried beans or peas)

Tips: Nuts and seeds are high in fat, so eat them in moderation.

The importance of Milk, Yogurt and Cheese

They are an excellent source of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals. 2-3 servings are recommended every day.

One serving

1 Cup of Milk or Yogurt	2 Cups Cottage Cheese
2 Slices Cheese (2 oz. or 60 gr.)	1½ Cup Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt

Tips: Choose skim milk and

Nonfat yogurt often. They are lowest in fat.

The importance of Fats, Oils and Sweets

This food group makes up the smallest percentage of the daily diet. They should be eaten sparingly because they provide calories and not much in the way of nutrition.

Tips: Read nutrition and ingredient labels on food packages to check the kinds and amounts of fat they contain.

You should center you diet around the foods at the base of the pyramid and eat less of the foods at the top of the pyramid. In all 5 groups, try to choose non fat and lean groups more often.

If you are seeking to loose or watch you weight, eat the minimum number of recommended servings. However, if you want to gain weight, eat the maximum number of servings.

Distribution of servings according to calories needed each day

	Children, Women,	Teen girls, Active	Teen boys,	cal/serv.	Fat/serv. or
	Older Adults	Women, Most Men	Active Men		Carb/serv.
Calorie Level	Lower about 1600	Moderate about 2200	Higher about 2800
Milk & Milk	2 - 3 (1)	2 - 3 (1)	2 - 3 (1)	Fat Free/Very	Non or
Product Groups	2 - 3 (1)	2 - 3 (1)	2 - 3 (1)	low Fat 90 cal	1% Fat
Meat & Meat Alt.	2 (60 gr.)	2 (60 gr.)	3 (85 gr.)	Lean Choices (3)	1 gr. of Fat
Group (oz.)	2 (60 gr.)	2 (60 gr.)	3 (85 gr.)	35 cal	1 gr. of Fat
Vegetable Group	3	4	5	25 cal	5 gr. of carb
Fruit Group	2	3	4	60 cal	15 gr. of carb
Bread & Cereal Group	6	9	11	80 cal	15 gr. of carb
Total Fat (grams)	36 - 53	49 - 73	62 – 93
Total Added Sugar (2)	6 tsp/day	12 tsp/day	18 tsp/day

*Carb: carbohydrates

*Serv: servings

*Tsp: teaspoon

*Tbsp: tablespoon

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers and young adults to age 24 need 3 servings
Mostly found in soft drinks, table sugar, applesauce, spaghetti sauces & soups
Turkey or chicken breast without skin, fish filet, canned tuna in water, shellfish, nonfat or low fat cottage cheese, egg whites & egg substitute, fat-free cheese, beans-cooked (black beans, kidney, chick peas or lentils)

Cholesterol

Cholesterol and fat are not the same thing.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance present in all animal foods – meat, poultry, fish, milk and milk products, and egg yolks. Both the lean and fat of meat and the meat and skin of poultry contain cholesterol. In milk products, cholesterol is mostly in the fat, so lower fat products contain less cholesterol. Egg yolks and organ meats, like liver, are high in cholesterol. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol.
Dietary cholesterol, as well as saturated fat, raises blood cholesterol levels in many people, increasing their risk for heart disease. Some health authorities recommend that dietary cholesterol be limited to an average of 300 mg or less per day. To keep dietary cholesterol to this level, follow the Food Guide Pyramid, keeping your total fat to the amount that’s right for you.

Where can you find Cholesterol?

		Cholesterol
Beef liver		331 mg
3 ounces, cooked
Egg		231 mg
1 yolk
Beef or Chicken		76 mg
3 ounces, cooked
Whole Milk		33 mg
1 cup
Skim Milk		4 mg
1 cup

Fat

Eating too much saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels in many people, increasing their risk for heart disease. The Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories, or about one-third of total fat intake.
All fats in foods are mixtures of three types of fatty acids – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated:

Saturated fats are found in largest amounts in fats from meat and dairy product and in some vegetables fats such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils.

Monounsaturated fats are found mainly in olive, peanut, and canola oils.

Polyunsaturated fats are found mainly in safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils and some fish.

For this amount of food…
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
*Eat 6 to 11 servings daily*	*Servings*
» Bread, 1 slice	1
» Hamburger roll, bagel, English muffin, 1	2
Tortilla, 1	1
» Rice, pasta, cooked, ½ cup	1
» Plain crackers, small, 3-4	1
» Breakfast cereal, 1oz. (30 gr.)	1
» Pancakes, 4” diameter, 2	2
» Croissant, 1 large 2 oz. (60 gr.)	2
» Doughnut, 1 medium 2 oz. (60 gr.)	2
» Danish, 1 medium 2 oz. (60 gr.)	2
» Cake, frosted, 1/16 average	1
» Cookies, 2 medium	1
» Pie, fruit, 2-crust, 1/6 8” pie	2

Vegetable Group
*Eat 3 to 5 servings daily*	*Servings*	*Grams of Fat*
» Vegetables, cooked 1/2 cup	1	Trace
» Vegetables, leafy, raw 1 cup	1	Trace
» Vegetables, non-leafy, raw, chopped 1/2 cup	1	Trace
» Potatoes, scalloped, 1/2 cup	1	4
» Potato salad, 1/2 cup	1	8
» French fries, 10	1	8
Fruit Group
*Eat 2 to 4 servings daily*	*Servings*	*Grams of Fat*
» Whole fruit: medium apple, orange, banana	1	Trace
» Fruit, raw or canned, 1/2 cup	1	Trace
» Fruit juice, unsweetened, 3/4 cup	1	Trace
» Avocado, 1/4 whole	1	9
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
*Eat 2 to 3 servings daily*
» Skim milk, 1 cup	1	Trace
» Nonfat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. (230 gr.)	1	Trace
» Low fat milk, 2%, 1 cup	1	5
» Whole milk, 1 cup	1	8
» Chocolate milk, 2%, 1 cup	1	5
» Low fat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. (230 gr.)	1	4
» Low fat yogurt, fruit, 8 oz. (230 gr.)	1	3
» Natural cheddar cheese, 1-1/2 oz. (30-15 gr.)	1	14
» Process cheese, 2 oz. (60 gr.)	1	18
» Mozzarella, part skim, 1/2 cup	1	7
» Ricotta, part skim, 1/2 cup	1	10
» Cottage cheese, 4 percent fat, ½ cup	1/4	5
» Ice cream, 1/2 cup	1/3	7
» Ice milk, 1/2 cup	1/3	3
» Frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup	1/2	2

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
*Eat 5 to 7 oz. daily (142 to 200 gr.)*	*Servings (oz./gr.)*		*Grams of Fat*
» Lean meat, poultry, fish, cooked	3/85		6
» Ground beef, lean, cooked	3/85		16
» Chicken, with skin, fried	3/85		13
» Bologna , 2 slices	1/30		16
» Egg, 1	1/30		5
» Dry beans and peas, cooked, 1/2 cup	1/30		Trace
» Peanut butter, 2 tbsp.	1/30		16
» Nuts, 1/3 cup	1/30		22
Fats, Oil, and Sweets
*Use sparingly*
» Butter, margarine, 1 tsp.		-	4
» Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp.		-	11
» Salad dressing, 1 tbsp.		-	7
» Reduced calorie salad dressing, 1 tbsp.		-	*
» Sour cream, 2 tbsp.		-	6
» Cream cheese, 1 oz. (30 gr.)		-	10
» Sugar, jam, jelly, 1 tsp.		-	0
» Cola, 12 fl. oz. (341 ml)		-	0
» Fruit drink, ade, 12 fl. oz. (341 ml)		-	0
» Chocolate bar, 1 oz. (30 gr.)		-	9
» Sherbet, 1/2 cup		-	2
» Fruit sorbet, 1/2 cup		-	0
» Gelatin dessert, 1/2 cup		-	0

Salt

Go easy on salt and foods that are high in sodium, including cured meats, luncheon meats, and many cheeses, most canned soups and vegetables, and soy sauce. Look for lower salt and no-salt-added versions of these products at your supermarket.
The table below will give you an idea of the amount of sodium in different types of foods. Information on food labels can also help you make food choices to keep sodium moderate.

*Food Groups*				*Sodium, mg*
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
Cooked cereal, rice, pasta, unsalted, 1/2 cup				Trace
Ready-to-eat cereal, 1 oz. (30 gr.)				100-360
Bread, 1 slice				110-175
Popcorn, salted, 1 oz. (30 gr.)				100-420
Pretzels, salted, 1 oz. (30 gr.)				130-880
Vegetables
Vegetables, fresh or frozen, cooked without salt, ½ cup				Less than 70
Vegetables, canned or frozen with sauce, 1/2 cup				140-460
Tomato juice, canned, 3/4 cup				660
Vegetable soup, canned, 1 cup				820
Fruit
Fruit, fresh, frozen, canned, 1/2 cup				Trace
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
Milk, 1 cup				120
Yogurt, 8 oz. (230 gr.)				160
Natural cheeses, 1-1/2 oz. (30-15 gr.)				110-450
Process cheeses, 2 oz. (60 gr.)				8
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
Fresh meat, poultry, fish, 3 oz. (85 gr.)				Less than 90
Tuna, canned, water pack, 3 oz. (85 gr.)				300
Bologna , 2 oz. (60 gr.)				580
Ham, lean, roasted, 3 oz. (85 gr.)				1,020
Peanuts, roasted in oil, salted 1 oz. (30 gr.)				120
Other
Salad dressing, 1 tbsp				75-220
Ketchup, mustard, steak sauce, 1 tbsp.				130-230
Soy sauce, 1 tbsp.				1,030
Salt, 1 tsp.				2,325
Dill pickle, 1 medium				930

Sugar

Sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup, honey, and molasses; these supply calories and little else nutritionally.

*Food Groups*		*Added Sugars (teaspoons)*
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
Bread, 1 slice		0
Muffin, 1 medium	x	1
Cookies, 2 medium	x	1
Danish pasty, 1 medium	x	1
Doughnut, 1 medium	xx	2
Ready-to-eat cereal, sweetened, 1 oz. (30 gr.)	x	*
Pound cake, no-fat, 1 oz. (30 gr.)	xx	2
Angelfood cake, 1/12 tube cake	xxxxx	5
Cake, frosted, 1/16 average	xxxxxx	6
Pie, fruit, 2 crust, 1/6 8" pie (20 cm)	xxxxxx	6
Fruit
Fruit, canned in juice, 1/2 cup		0
Fruit, canned in light syrup, 1/2 cup	xx	2
Fruit, canned in heavy syrup, ½ cup	xxxx	4
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
Milk, plain, 1 cup		0
Chocolate milk, 2 percent, 1 cup	xxx	3
Low fat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. (230 gr.)		0
Low fat, yogurt, flavored, 8 oz. (230 gr.)	xxxxx	5
Low fat yogurt, fruit, 8 oz. (230 gr.)	xxxxxxx	7
Ice Cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt 1/2 cup	xxx	3
Chocolate shake, 10 fl. oz. (285 ml)	xxxxxxxxx	9
Other
Sugar, jam, or jelly, 1 tsp.	x	1
Syrup or honey, 1 tbsp.	xxx	3
Chocolate bar, 1 oz. (30 gr.)	xxx	3
Fruit sorbet, 1/2 cup	xxx	3
Gelatin dessert, 1/2 cup	xxxx	4
Sherbet, ½ cup	xxxxx	5
Cola, 12 fl. Oz. (341 ml)	xxxxxxxxx	9
Fruit drink, ade, 12 fl. oz. (341 ml)	xxxxxxxxxxxx	12
* Check product label. x = 1 teaspoon sugar Note: 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon