The Pyramid suggests eating a variety of foods to get the necessary nutrients while also consuming correct portions to maintain a healthy weight.
Start with lots of grains, breads, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables, and fruits. Add 2-3 servings from the milk group and 2-3 servings from the meat group. Remember to go easy on fats, oils, and sweets, the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid.
What Is One Serving?
The amount of food that counts as one serving is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving. For example, a dinner portion of spaghetti would count as 2 or 3 servings of pasta.
Be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the five major food groups listed below. You need them for the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide. Just try to pick the lowest fat choices from the food groups. No specific serving size is given for the fats, oils, and sweets group because the message is USE SPARINGLY.
Examples of Portion Sizes:
Dairy
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
2 ounces of process cheese
Protein
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans,
1 egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat
Vegetables
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruits
1 medium apple, banana, orange
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked,
or canned fruit3/4 cup of fruit juice
Grains
1 slice of bread
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
Source: United States Department of Agriculture
