Basic Food Groups

Guide to food groups
 

 

 

Category Sitemaps

Diet

Food

Calories

Exercise

Losing weight

Weight loss help

 

 

The Basic Food Groups for a Healthy Diet

Let the food groups guide you to good nutrition

When it comes to good nutrition, what you should and shouldn’t eat, and how much you should eat can be overwhelming and confusing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has laid it out for everyone with their famous “Food Pyramid”, which has been updated in recent years. This diagram clearly outlines what the best foods are for you to eat, and how much of them you should eat each day. By using this tool as a general guide for your diet, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight, in addition to receiving all of the nutrients that your body needs to function properly.

 

The Food Pyramid is broken down into 5 food groups.

  1. Grains. Whole grains are an important source of energy. Whole grains are the best for us to eat, which are made from whole-wheat flour, rather than white flour. They are not as processed, and therefore still contain many of their vital nutrients and fiber. It is recommended that you eat 6-11 servings from this group each day.

  2. Fruits & Vegetables. These nutrient-rich foods are all-natural because they come from the earth, and are loaded with many different nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, potassium, and folic acid. Eat a wide variety of each to garner the greatest health benefits. Try to get 3-5 vegetable servings and 2-4 fruit servings per day.

  3. Proteins. Proteins help your body to build and retain muscle, as well as provide the energy you need each day. Protein-rich foods such as beans, lean meats, poultry, fish, and eggs also provide healthy doses of zinc and iron. Some of the foods in this group can be high in cholesterol, so keep that in mind when making food choices. 2-3 servings of protein are recommended each day.

  4. Dairy. Dairy products provide us with bone-building calcium, which is known to help prevent osteoporosis. While this is a very important food group to include in a balanced diet, it is important to remember that some dairy foods are high in fat, such as ice cream and cheese. Remember portion control, and try to get 2-3 servings of dairy daily.

  5. Fats and sweets. While technically not a food group, this category is here because most people can’t live without at least some of the tempting treats within! The foods in this group, which include butter, candy and desserts, oils, and sugars, provide very little nutritional benefit when consumed. Use these foods in moderation.

Following this pyramid will give you the tools to following a well-balanced diet. You might think that it is impossible to get than many servings of all the different types of foods in the pyramid. But there is something to think about, especially if you are trying to lose weight, or maintain a recent weight loss, and that is portion control. Portions can make or break a diet, and most people have no real idea of what a portion is. Therefore, most of us tend to eat a little (or a lot!) more than a suggested portion.

A portion is:

• 1 slice of bread
• ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta
• ¾ cup (6 oz.) whole fruit juice
• ½ cup cooked vegetables
• 1 medium apple or banana
• 2-3 oz. of lean meat
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 ½ oz. of natural cheese

When you see what a portion really is, you might realize that it isn’t that difficult to fit all the right foods in to your daily diet!
 

 

 


 

 

Related exercise articles below!

Calorie burning exercises are important for faster weight loss

What is the best exercise to lose weight fast, exercise incorrectly and fat burning will be slow!

Aerobic exercises must be performed correctly to burn fat

Aerobic exercise and muscle loss

Anaerobic exercise burns carbs but an increased metabolism will help burn off fat indirectly

Burn body fat directly with correct exercise technique

Calorie expenditure tips when exercising

Energy expenditure chart for common exercises

Target heart rate for effective fat burning

Aerobic exercise health benefits

Best cardio exercise for gaining fitness

Best exercise for home workouts

Best way to exercise to lose weight

Best exercise to help reduce love handles

Exercise best type, there are different types of muscular contraction

Muscles constantly grow & shrink to adapt to activity levels and nutritional intake

Different tips to help lose weight fast

Tips to flatten stomach

Best butt exercise

Best aerobic exercise

Best thigh exercises

Best type of exercise

Best abdominal exercise

Best exercise toning body

Best exercise tone stomach

Best exercise small waist

Exercises for toning up arms

Physical activity ratios

Training tips

Health links

Fitness links

Frequently Asked Questions on exercising & fat loss

Learn why athletes have fat burning workouts when exercising

The best time to workout to burn fat

Calorie Burning facts for different workouts

Boost Fat metabolism how to metabolize excess body fat quickly

Tips on how to expend more energy

Different body types require separate workouts

Training with weights for effective metabolism boosting

Always monitor workout progress for best workout results

Losing the fat around chest area

Total body workouts will boost energy burning

Training tips

Get Six Pack Abs

 

Other dieting articles

Site Map

All tools and information on this site are intended as an aid to help healthy adults lose weight and not intended as medical advice. The information presented here is not for pregnant or breast-feeding women or for any person under the age of 18. If you suffer or think you may suffer from any medical condition you should consult your doctor before starting any weight loss exercise regime. Any weight loss exercise programs or diet should be started slowly and we advise you to always consult your doctor or physician beforehand.

 

  Copyright  © 2003.  www. weightlossforall.com. All rights reserved.  | Terms  | Disclaimer  | Resources  | Home  | Food Groups