My Pyramid is an excellent guide to good nutrition. Also referred to as "The Food Pyramid," this government resource is put together by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The dietary guidelines of My Pyramid provide science-based advice on food choices for good health. Follow these guidelines to eat a healthy combination of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, meats, dairy and fats.
Step 1
Eat at least 3 oz. of whole grain bread, crackers, cereal, pasta, tortillas or rice each day. Make sure that you see the word "enriched" in the grain ingredient name when you check the ingredient lists of refined grains.
Step 2
Eat more dark green and orange vegetables in addition to peas and dry beans. If you are over the age of nine years, consume 2 to 3 cups of vegetables. Feed children under nine years of age 1 cup of vegetables.
Step 3
Eat a variety of fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits. If you like fruit juice, you should drink 100 percent fruit juice rather than concentrated juice varieties. Consume 1 to 2 cups of fruit every day.
Step 4
Eat low-fat or lean meats that you can bake, broil or grill. You can vary your need for protein through eating fish, beans, nuts, seeds and peas instead of meat if you are vegetarian or vegan. If you are above nine years of age, eat 5 to 6 oz. of meat products. Feed children under age nine 2 to 4 oz. of meat per day.
Step 5
Consume dairy products through having milk, cheese and yogurt every day. Select low-fat or non-fat dairy options. If you don't or can't consume dairy products, you can select lactose-free milk, cheese and yogurt, or find alternate sources of calcium in fruits and vegetables. Give children two- to eight-years-old 2 cups of dairy products per day. Consume 3 cups of dairy products each day if you are above eight years of age.
Step 6
Consume most of your fat from vegetable oils, fish and nuts. Limit your consumption of stick margarine, shortening and butter.
Tips and Warnings
- Whole grains are divided into two subgroups. Refined grains have been milled, which increases the amount of time you can store these grains, but also removes the iron, dietary fiber and many of the B vitamins that grains contain. Many refined grains are enriched with B vitamins and iron. This means manufacturers add certain nutrients back to refined grains after processing. Refined grains include white flour, white bread and white rice. Whole grains (including whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice and whole cornmeal) are unprocessed and naturally healthy. Orange vegetables that My Pyramid recommends include carrots, pumpkin and butternut squash. Recommended dark green vegetables include broccoli, romaine lettuce, spinach and dark green leafy lettuce. Recommended dry beans and peas include black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lentils and white beans.
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