The U.S. Department of Agriculture created the "2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" to guide your food choices and reach your daily intake of vitamins and minerals. Your body needs 13 essential vitamins and 21 essential minerals to support normal growth and development and reduce the risk for chronic diseases. The average adult consumes too many calories, yet still falls short in meeting the recommended daily intake of nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. Understanding the five main food groups and their role as a source of minerals and vitamins can help you reach your nutritional goals.
Vegetables
Vegetables, the edible portion of a plant, provide a variety of minerals and vitamins. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that adults consume 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day, which includes fresh or cooked vegetables or 100 percent vegetable juice. The dark green vegetables serve as good sources of vitamin E, riboflavin, folate, calcium, iron and more. Orange vegetables serve as rich sources of beta-carotene, folate and vitamin B-6. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn provide potassium, thiamin, vitamin B-6 and phosphorus. Dried beans and peas contain zinc, iron and vitamin B-6. Many other vegetables that don't fit into one of these subgroups provide the vitamins A, E or C.
Fruits
A fruit is the reproductive part of the plant that contains the seeds. The USDA Food Pyramid recommends that adults consume 1.5 to 2 cups per day to help meet your vitamin and mineral goal. When choosing which fruits to eat, choose a wide variety of colors to obtain a variety of nutrients. Fruits such as plums, prunes and raisins provide iron. Avocados, bananas and watermelon contain potassium and vitamin B-6. Citrus fruits and cantaloupe serve as a good source of folate. Vitamin C is found in strawberries, raspberries, watermelon and citrus fruits. The body converts beta carotene and other carotenoids -- substances that provide fruits and vegetables their color -- into vitamin A.
Whole Grains
Grains, also known as cereal grains, are the seeds of a grass. Many grains used in products like breads and pastas are milled and treated in various other ways, which means the bran and germ have been removed. Because the bran and germ contain a large portion of the vitamins and minerals, eating whole grains with the germ, bran and endosperm intact provides more nutrients. Whole grains serve as a good source of many of the B-vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate and vitamin E. Whole grains also provide iron, magnesium and selenium.
Dairy
The dairy food group includes fluid milk and any product made with milk that retains the calcium content, according to the USDA Food Pyramid. Dairy foods serve as the main source of calcium, the mineral necessary to build strong bones and teeth. Dairy foods also provide potassium and vitamin D.
Meats
The meat food group, which includes red meat, poultry and seafood, provides some vitamins and minerals that you cannot get in other food groups. Seafood like salmon, tuna and shrimp, and beef and chicken livers serve as one of the few natural sources of vitamin D. Items in the meat group provide some of the B vitamins, such as thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and B-6. Meat, milk and eggs are among the only natural sources of vitamin B-12. Meats serve as a good source of iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and potassium.
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