What Is The Purpose Of The 5 Food Groups?

The Food Guide Pyramid was designed to demonstrate the need for balancing foods from differing groups into daily eating habits. The pyramid emphasizes incorporating foods from different groups to maximize nutrient benefit. However, it does categorize proportions based on servings per day of each group. The foods listed at the base or larger area of the pyramid should be consumed more per day, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Use of foods listed higher up on the pyramid should be eaten moderately (middle of pyramid) to sparingly (tip of pyramid). Essentially, the breakdown of the different food groups illustrates what foods constitute any given group, and how many servings of that particular group should be consumed daily for optimal health.

Grain Group

Foods in the grain group are essentially carbohydrates. These grains are broken down into two subcategories: whole grain and refined grains. Cereals, breads, pastas, rice, and oats are examples of foods found in the grain group. The USDA recommends six to 11 servings per day from this group. At least 50 percent of daily grain intake should come from whole grains. Examples of a serving include: 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, cooked rice or cooked pasta.
Grains, particularly whole grains, are full of many vital nutrients. Found in whole grains are several B vitamins and minerals. More importantly, whole grains are an essential source of dietary fiber. Fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

Vegetable Group

Items in this group are broken down even further into subgroups. These subgroups include: dark green veggies (broccoli and collard greens), starchy veggies (corn and potatoes), orange veggies (carrots and sweet potatoes), dry beans and peas (pinto beans and navy beans), and other veggies (cabbage, green beans, asparagus, peppers and onions). Recommended daily servings for vegetables is three to five. Serving size examples are: raw leafy veggies = 1 cup, vegetable juice = 3/4 cup, veggies from other subgroup = 1/2 cup (chopped raw or cooked).
Benefits of vegetable consumption are similar to that of whole grains; however, adequate vegetable intake may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Fruit Group

The USDA recommends two to four servings daily from the fruit group. Apples, bananas, berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries), grapefruits, oranges, peaches, watermelon, and 100 percent juices (apple, orange, grape and grapefruit) are some of the items included in the fruit group. A medium-sized fruit or 3/4 cup of fruit juice constitutes one serving.

Milk Group

Milk group items are comprised of liquid milk products as well as food made from milk. Foods made from milk include yogurt and cheese. In order to make the milk group list, these foods must retain their calcium content. Ideally, items selected from this group will be of the fat-free or low-fat variety. Daily consumption of two to three servings is what is recommended by the USDA. Basically, a cup of milk or yogurt, or 1 and 1/2 ounces of natural cheese make up a serving for the milk group.
Of course, the calcium and vitamin D found in milk products are integral to developing and maintaining bone mass density. Adequate calcium intake staves off the onset of osteoporosis.

Meat and Beans Group

Items in this food group are the foundational sources for protein intake into the body. Animal protein (chicken, beef, fish and eggs) are considered more complete sources of protein because they provide all of the essential amino acids the body requires for protein synthesis. Incomplete proteins are generally of plant origin, such as lima beans, black-eyed peas and lentils, to name a few. However, consumed in combination with each other can provide the essential amino acids. Two to three servings per day is recommended
Protein serves as the building block for all cellular tissue in the body. They are also essential for the manufacturing of many of the enzymes and hormones in the body. Foods in this group also supply the body with many vitamins and minerals vital for a healthy functioning body.
However, these items tend to be higher in fat content, especially saturated fats, and need to be monitored accordingly. Leaner, low-fat options should be selected when choosing foods from this group.

Fats, Oils and Sweets

There are no daily serving recommendations for foods in this group that make up the tip of the pyramid. The admonition from the USDA is to "use sparingly." Commercially baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and candies are all items high in saturated or trans fats. These items should be limited if not completely avoided.
Preferably, the oils used from this group would include canola, olive, or some other vegetable oil in food preparation. Fats that are solid at room temperature (butter, margarine and lard) are high in saturated fats and contribute to raising blood cholesterol levels.