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the
FOOD
Pyramid
Steps to a healthier you
Eating Right Every Day
 Eating right everyday is a good way of insuring your
health presently and in the future.
 To eat right, you must make sure to eat balanced meals
daily by eating from each of the food groups.
The Food Pyramid
Steps to a healthier you
GRAINS
VEGETABLES
FRUITS
OILS
MILK
MEAT & BEANS
Grains
Make half of your grains whole
 Eat at least 3 ounces of grains daily
 Grains have 2 subgroups
• Whole grains such as whole grain bread
and flour, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.
• Refined grains that are missing a lot of
dietary fiber, iron and vitamins such as
white rice, white flour, white bread
 Foods that are considered grains:
• Bread, cereal, rice, crackers, pasta
Vegetables
Vary your veggies
 Eat at least 2 ½ cups daily.
 Vegetables may be raw, cooked, fresh,
frozen, canned, dried/dehydrated, whole,
cut or mashed
 Some vegetables would be:
• Carrots, greens, beans, cauliflower,
cucumbers, squash, zucchini, potatoes,
etc.
Fruits
Focus on fruits
 Eat at least 1 ½ to 2 cups daily
 Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts toward
your daily total.
 Fruit may be fresh, canned, frozen, dried,
whole, cut up or pureed.
 Fruit choices include:
• Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, plums,
watermelon, etc.
Meat and Beans
Go lean on protein
 Recommended daily allowance for meat is
5-6 ounces daily.
 Most meat and poultry choices should be
lean or low fat
 Some meat choices include:
• Ham, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, steak,
burgers, etc.
Milk
Get your calcium rich foods
 Recommended daily allowance for the milk
group is 3 cups daily
 Foods made from milk that retain their
calcium are a part of this group.
 Foods that have little to no calcium are not
such as cream cheese, cream, and butter
 Milk products would include:
• Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, puddings
made with milk, etc.
Oils
Know your fats
 Recommended daily allowance for oil is 5-6
teaspoons
 Most Americans consume enough oil from:
• Nuts
• Fish
• Salad dressings
• Cooking oil
Discretionary Calories
Extras for luxury foods
 Discretionary calories are calories that you have left
over after you have met your nutrient requirements with
choices from MyPyramid.
• They can be used for that piece of cake you
wanted after eating right all day.
 Think of your daily calorie limit as a budget and as you
eat throughout the day, you spend some of your money
(calories)
 Well, if you have paid for all the needs or necessities
then you are left with “extra” spending money for things
you would like.
Physical Activity
Strive for 60 minutes or more per day
 Along with eating right, one must also do an adequate
amount of physical activity.
 This usually helps prevent weight gain and many other
health related problems
 You should strive for 60 minutes a day, but at least 30 is
the least amount.
 Some types of physical activity would include:
• Walking briskly
• Hiking
• Dancing
• Swimming
• Running
• Basketball/football
• Bicycling, etc.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
1. Get adequate nutrients within the
calorie needs
Caloric Breakdown
Carbohydrates: 55-60%
Fat: No more than 30%
Protein: 10-15 %
Average American eats too
much fat, sugar, calories
& sodium
Average American doesn’t
eat enough fiber.
2. Manage weight, balance food
intake with exercise output.
3. Be physically active each day.
4. Choose a variety of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains and fat
free or low fat milk products
daily.
5. Monitor your intake of fats
 Watch for naturally occurring invisible fat in
foods such as avocados, olives, milk, eggs,
etc…
6. Choose carbohydrates wisely
 Choose fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Limit sugar.
7. Watch your intake of sodium
What can too much salt/sodium
do to your body?
Can cause high blood
pressure and heart disease.
Where does it hide?
In prepared foods (frozen,
canned, etc.)
Eat Well and Stay Healthy!
 Complete the MyFood Tracking Worksheet to
determine how you score on the MyPyramid daily
goals.
 Remember that the better foods you eat and the
more active you are, the healthier you will be.
Serving Size Quiz
What does a serving size look like?
With the changes of the new MyPyramid from servings
to amounts, it seems to have everyone a little confused
on portions. Let’s test your knowledge!
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
A huge bag of Ruffles is helping you get
through your science homework. You
polish off about ½ a bag or 50 chips. How
many servings of chips have you just
eaten?
A. 1
B. 2 1/2
C. 5

The Answer: C
 An official serving of Ruffles is one
ounce, which is about 10 chips. Half
a bag is 5 servings.
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
One serving of steak is about as big
as:
A. A deck of cards
B. A Howie Day CD
with case
c. A paperback book

The Answer: A
 An official serving of steak is three
ounces or about as big as a deck of
cards. A typical slab you would get
at a steak house would be five times
that size.
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
According to the label on a
package of Oreos, one serving has
100 calories and five grams of fat.
How many cookies are
in a serving?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3

The Answer: B
 An official serving of Oreos is 2
cookies. But who can stop at just 2?
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
The label on your favorite brand of
ultrasinful ice cream says that one
serving has a killer 300 calories and
15 grams of fat. How many scoops
are in one serving?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 1

Answer: C
 One official serving is one scoop, just
½ a cup.
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
On “official” serving of french fries
contains 3 ounces. How many
servings are in a McDonald’s Super
Size french fries?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3

Answer: C
 A Super Size french fries contains
three official servings, adding up to
540 calories.
QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?
A 7-Eleven Double Gulp contains
how many servings of soda?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 8

Answer: C
 A Double Gulp has eight servings,
more than enough to quench the
thirst of a large family. A can of soda
contains 1 ½ servings.
So how did you do?