The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, food pyramid guide is a food guidance system developed by the government in an attempt to encourage healthy choices about eating. The food pyramid divides all foods into 6 major food groups, with each group represented by a different color band on the pyramid. The food pyramid also provides recommendations on how many servings you should consume from each group.
Grains
The orange color on the pyramid, which is the largest band, represents the grain food group. Any food made from a cereal grain, which includes wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal and barley, belongs to the grain food group. When choosing foods from this group, the USDA recommends that you make at least half of your servings of grains, or approximately 3 oz., whole grains. Specific serving recommendations differ based on age, sex and calorie level, but general recommendations range from 5 to 10 oz. per day.
Vegetables
Vegetables are represented by the green band on the food pyramid guide. Vegetables in this group are further categorized by their color. These categories include dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, dry peas and beans, and other vegetables. When choosing vegetables, you should aim to consume a variety of vegetables from each category. Recommended servings from the vegetable group range from 1.5 to 4 cups.
Fruits
The red band on the food pyramid guide represents fruits. Any whole fruit or 100 percent fruit juice belongs in the fruit group. Serving recommendations range from 1.5 to 2.5 cups daily. Joan Salge Blake, in her book "Nutrition and You," notes that most of your fruit servings should come from whole fruits, whether they be fresh, canned or frozen, rather than from fruit juice.
Oils
The oil group, which is the yellow band on the pyramid, includes all oils and foods that contain large amounts of oil, such as nuts, avocados, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarine and fatty fish. Your daily allowance of oil is largely dependent on your calorie intake and ranges from 4 to 11 tsp. per day.
Milk
The blue band on the food guide pyramid represents milk and foods made from milk, such as cheese and yogurt. When choosing foods from the milk group, you should choose low-fat or fat-free varieties rather than milk products that are whole fat. Recommendations for servings of milk range from 2 to 3 cups daily.
Meat and Beans
The meat and beans group is represented by the purple band on the pyramid. This group consists of foods that rich in protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds. The USDA recommends you consume 4 to 7 oz. of foods from this group. Most of your intake should be in the form of lean meat, poultry, fish, beans or nuts. You should limit your intake of high-fat meats, such as beef.
References
- MyPyramid.gov: Inside the Pyramid
- "Nutrition and You"; Joan Salge Blake; 2008
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