Healthy eating equates to healthy living. However, conflicting information regarding the best diet for your lifestyle abounds. Historically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided Americans with nutritional guidelines comprised of food groups with succinct serving portions as recommendations for healthy eating. Since the early 1900s, several versions of the USDA nutritional guidelines have been presented to meet the changing trends in nutritional science and health. The "basic four" food groups initially included animal-based products. In the early 1990s, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) offered a new four food group recommendation, excluding animal-based foods, based on conclusions from research indicating links of a higher incidence of disease from eating these types of foods.
Step 1
Talk to your physician to determine your nutritional needs. Due to the contradictions in information about eating animal-based foods versus only plant-based foods, it is hard to decide the best nutritional plan for your health. There are several versions of the four food groups. One version includes meats and dairy, while other versions do not. In order to identify the four food groups necessary for your health, you have to understand your nutritional needs, mainly regarding fats and proteins. Animal-based protein contains amino acids, essential for protecting cells and breaking down sugars from carbohydrates. Fats also help to absorb sugar, in addition to aiding in vitamin absorption and maintaining cell membranes, notes the McKinley Health Center.
Step 2
Read and learn the differences between the new and old food group recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests choosing the four food group plan that helps you consume the necessary amount of calories daily for energy and for obtaining nutrients for good health. The USDA food pyramid emphasizes a meat and dairy food group, with small daily servings of five ounces or less. The PCRM "new four" food groups exclude meats and dairy altogether, with protein and fat sources coming from the legumes and whole grain food groupings.
Step 3
Write a comparison chart of the most popular and healthy food groups for visual referencing. The plant-based four food groups include: fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Serving recommendations for the fruit group are three or more, with a serving equaling one medium whole fruit like an apple or grapefruit. Four or more vegetable servings are suggested at one cup raw or a half-cup cooked. Legumes like beans and lentils are suggested at two or more servings a day with sizes equaling a half-cup cooked. Whole grains including rice, pasta and bread are comprised of five or more servings, with a serving equaling one slice of bread or a half-cup of pasta, cereal or rice.
Step 4
Add the nuts. Depending on the recommending source, nuts may or may not be a part of the food groups. However, nuts are an excellent source of protein and unsaturated fats, which is important in lowering your risk of hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. The USDA food pyramid groups nuts like almonds, peanuts and walnuts in the meat and beans food group. The food guide pyramid has six food groups with fats, sweets and oils comprising the extra groups.
Step 5
Visit credible sources for updated nutritional information and food group guidelines. MyPyramid.gov, "Inside the Pyramid," is a resource provided by the USDA. This website provides current nutritional information on food groups, servings and eating healthy. Use this resource as a guideline for planning meals with the basic food groups in mind. As an alternative, if you prefer a plant-based diet, visit PCRM.org, which is a physician-run website promoting health and wellness. Although identifying the real four food groups is difficult due to conflicting information, you can make healthy choices for your lifestyle based on valid, researched information provided on each of these websites.
Tips and Warnings
- Plan your meals based on needed calorie intake in addition to the nutrients provided by each food group. Get the most nutritional value from eating a variety of foods in each food group and limiting your portion sizes.
- Eating excessive amounts of saturated fat from animal-based products can lead to arterial plaque, diabetes and heart conditions.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Food Groups
- McKinley Health Center: Macronutrients: The Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: The Origins of U.S. Dietary Guidelines
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: The New Four Food Groups
- Jewish Vegetarians of North America: The Four Food Groups, Old and New
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