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E X P LO R I N G
T H E
N E W
P Y R A M I D
Portion Sizes: How Many Servings Do You Need?
Decoding the Hieroglyphics
The New Pyramid shows a range of daily
servings for each food group. Eating the number of servings that is right for you depends
on how many calories you need. While this
number can vary from person to person, the
USDA recommends that your daily intake in
general should be:
• 1,600-2,000 calories for most women
and older adults
• 2,000-2,400 calories for kids, teen girls,
active women, and most men
• 2,400-3,200 calories for teen boys and
active men
Those with lower calorie needs should select
the lower number of servings from each food
group. And those who have moderate or
high caloric needs should select the middle
or higher number of recommended servings.
What Counts as a Serving?
The amount of food that counts as a serving
is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, it
counts as more than one serving. For example, a slice of bread is one serving—if you
have a sandwich, you just had two servings.
*For a 2,000 calorie diet, eat the amounts
listed in parenthesis listed after the category.
Grains (6 oz.*): Make Half of Your Grains
Whole
Eat at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereals,
breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day.
1 oz. is:
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 tortilla
• ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
• 1 pancake
Vegetables (2.5 cups*): Vary your Veggies
• Eat more dark-green veggies like broccoli
and spinach.
• Eat more orange veggies like carrots and
sweet potatoes.
• Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto
and kidney beans.
Fruits (2 cups*): Focus on Fruits
• Eat a variety of fruit. Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit. Go easy on
fruit juices
Milk (3 cups*): Get your Calcium-rich
Foods
• Eat low-fat or fat-free when you choose
milk, yogurt and other dairy products.
Meat & Beans (5.5 oz*): Go Lean with
Protein
• Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry.
• Bake it, broil it, or grill it.
• Choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts and
seeds for protein.
E X P L O R I N G T H E N E W P Y R A M I D
Daily you should consume:
• 30 percent or less of your total calories
from fats
• 55 percent or more of total daily calories
from carbohydrates, especially complex
carbs like grains, legumes, vegetables, and
some fruits
• About 12 to 15 percent of total daily
calories from protein, especially protein
sources that are lower in fat
Key recommendations:
n Consume a sufficient amount of fruits
and vegetables while staying within
energy needs. Two cups of fruit and
21/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie
intake, with higher or lower amounts
depending on the calorie level.
n Consume less than 2,300 mg (approxi-
mately 1 tsp of salt) of sodium per day.
n Choose and prepare foods with little
salt. At the same time, consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
n Those who choose to drink alcoholic bev-
erages should do so sensibly and in moderation—defined as the consumption of
up to one drink per day for women and
up to two drinks per day for men
(USDA, 2005).
To know the exact amount of each food
group you need daily, enter information at
http://www.mypyramid.gov and receive a
customized food guide.
n Choose and prepare foods and beverages
with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
n Consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents
of whole-grain products per day, with
the rest of the recommended grains
coming from enriched or whole-grain
products. In general, at least half the
grains should come from whole grains.
n Consume less than 10 percent of calories
from saturated fatty acids and less than
300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep
trans fatty acid consumption as low as
possible.
n Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35
percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fatty acids, such as
fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
“Never eat more than you can lift.”
©2006 Wellness Councils of America
—MISS PIGGY