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How many servings
do you need each day?
A.
Food
Group
B.
Children
ages 2 to 6
years,
women,
some older
adults (about
1,600
calories)
C.
Older
children,
teen girls,
active
women,
most men
(about
2,200
calories)
D.
Teen boys,
active men
(about 2,800
calories)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Bread,
Cereal, Rice,
and Pasta
Group
(Grains
Group)—
especially
whole grain
6
9
11
Vegetable
Group
3
4
5
Fruit Group
2
3
4
A.
B.
C.
D.
Milk, Yogurt,
and Cheese
Group (Milk
Group)—
preferably fat
free or low fat
2 or 3
2 or 3
2 or 3
2 for a total of
6 ounces
3 for a total of
7 ounces
Meat, Poultry, 2 for a total of
Fish, Dry
5 ounces
Beans, Eggs,
and Nuts
Group (Meat
and Beans
Group)—
preferably
lean or low
fat
What Counts as a Serving?
Bread, Cereal,
Rice and Pasta Group
1 slice of bread
About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
Vegetable Group
• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup of other vegetables cooked or
raw
• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit Group
• 1 medium apple,
banana, orange,
pear
• 1/2 cup of chopped,
cooked, or canned
fruit
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group
• 1 cup of milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
(such as Cheddar)
• 2 ounces of processed cheese
(such as American)
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry
Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group
• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat,
poultry, or fish
• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1/2 cup
of tofu counts as 1 ounce of lean meat
• 2 1/2-ounce soy burger or 1 egg counts
as 1 ounce of lean meat
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3
cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of meat
Use plant foods as the
foundation of your meals
• Grains, Fruits and Vegetables
• Eating a variety of grains (especially
whole grain foods) fruits and
vegetables in the basis of healthy
eating.
• Moderate amount of low-fat foods
from the milk group and the meat and
beans group.
• Go easy on food high in fat or sugars
Keep an eye on
servings
• If you don’t need many
calories (if your inactive
for example) aim for the
lower number of servings
• Notice that some of the
serving sizes are smaller
than what you might
usually eat or see on food
labels.
– For example, many people
eat 2 slices of bread in a
meal, which is 2 servings.
Check the food label
before you buy
• Front label often tells
you if nutrients are
added “iodized salt”
“enriched pasta”
• The ingredients list tells
you what’s in the food,
the ingredients are listed
in descending order by
weight
Other Tips…
• Also notice that many of the
meals and snacks you eat
contain items from several food
groups.
• Choose a variety of foods for
good nutrition.
There are many healthful eating
patterns
• Different people like different foods and like
to prepare the same foods in different ways.
• Use the food guide pyramid as a starting
point.
• If you usually avoid all foods from one or
two of the food groups, be
sure to get enough nutrients
from all the other food groups.