A balanced diet is the cornerstone of good health. Rather than eliminating certain foods from your diet entirely, a balanced diet includes a variety of all foods in the appropriate proportions. The United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid.gov website provides recommended food choices based on the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The specific recommended amounts for each food group vary depending on your age, gender and level of physical activity.
Meats and Beans
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dry beans and peas, nuts and seeds fall into the meat and beans food group. Choose lean cuts of meat and select fish and poultry that are lower in fat. Bake, broil or grill rather than frying or sautéing in oil or butter.
The USDA recommends adults eat 5.5- to 6.5-oz. equivalents of meats and beans per day. An ounce equivalent includes 1 oz. of meat, poultry or fish, .5 oz. of nuts or seeds or one egg. MayoClinic.com's Healthy Weight Pyramid combines proteins and dairy products and recommends three to seven servings per day.
Grains
The grains food group includes grains themselves, such as rice and barley, along with foods made from grains such as bread, oatmeal and pasta. MayoClinic.com suggests four to eight servings of grains daily. The USDA recommends 3- to 4-oz. equivalents of grain per day. Examples of an ounce equivalent include one slice of bread, one half-cup of cooked rice or pasta or one cup of breakfast cereal. At least half of your grain servings come from whole grains, according to the USDA.
Fruits
MayoClinic.com allows unlimited amounts of fruits per day and recommends at least three servings daily. The USDA recommends adults eat 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits daily. The fruit group includes any kind of fruit, as well as 100-percent fruit juices. Fruit servings may be fresh, frozen, canned or dried, although sweetened dried fruits often have excess calories due to the added sugar.
Vegetables
As with fruits, MayoClinic.com allows unlimited amounts of vegetables per day and recommends a minimum of four daily servings. The USDA recommends adults eat two to three cups of vegetables per day and divides them into five subgroups. The subgroups are: dark green, such as broccoli, spinach or kale; starchy, such as green peas, corn and potatoes; orange, such as carrots, sweet potatoes and acorn squash; dry beans and peas, such as kidney beans, black-eyed peas and lima beans, and other vegetables that don't fit into the first four groups, such as asparagus, cucumbers and tomatoes.
The USDA further provides weekly recommendations for each vegetable subgroup; for adults, the recommendations are 2 to 3 cups of dark green; 2.5 to 6 cups of starchy; 1.5 to 2 cups of orange; 2.5 to 3 cups of dry beans and peas; and 5.5 to 7 cups of other vegetables. Dry beans and peas fit in both the vegetable and meat and beans food groups. The USDA recommends counting each serving of these foods in one group or the other as needed, but not both.
Milk
The USDA recommends adults consume 3 cups of the milk food group per day. The group includes milk, cheese and yogurt, as well as desserts made from milk such as ice cream, milk-based puddings and frozen yogurt. Most milk choices should be of the fat-free or low-fat variety. The extra calories from fats and sugar in full-fat, and sweetened products become part of the daily discretionary calories allotment.
Fats
Healthy fats are a part of a balanced diet. Oils, fats that are liquid at room temperature, contain essential fatty acids that are required for good health. The USDA recommends most of your fats come from fish, nut and vegetable oils, which are high in both poly- and mono-unsaturated fats.
Fats that are solid at room temperature, such as butter, shortening or lard, are typically higher in saturated fats and trans fats, which may increase your risk of heart disease. Adults should eat 5 to 7 tsp. of fats daily, according to the USDA, while the MayoClinic.com recommends three to five servings per day.
Discretionary Calories
Discretionary calories consist of the extra calories from other food groups, such as whole milk or sweetened cereals, added fats or sugars such as sauces, dressings, syrup or butter, and sugars and alcohol such as candy, soft drinks or beer. In essence, discretionary calories make up the difference between daily caloric requirements and the calories provided by the other food groups each day.
The USDA guidelines suggest inactive adults to consume 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, with 130 to 360 of those being discretionary; active adults should consume 1,800 to 3,000 calories with 195 to 510 discretionary ones per day. MayoClinic.com treats this food group a little differently, limiting it to sweets and recommending no more than 75 calories daily.
Member Comments