food guide-american

fats and oils use sparingly		sugars use sparingly
milk, cheese yogurt 2-3 servings		meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts 2-3 servings
vegetables 3-5 servings		fruit 3-4 servings
		bread, rice, grains, pasta 6-11 servings

From A to Z-- apricots to zucchini --every food fits into the Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid is meant for all healthy people from age two on up. It offers practical advice to enjoy the wide variety of foods available. With its five food groups, the Pyramid has many kinds of foods that promote health. Chosen carefully, all foods can be part of your healthful eating style.

Enjoy your favorite foods and your favorite places to eat. No foods or meals are "good" or "bad." The foods you choose for the whole day even several days, are what counts. Eat at least the lowest number of servings recommended for each food group daily. And use just a bit from the Pyramid tip.

What Counts as One Serving?
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese	1 cup of milk or yogurt 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese 2 ounces of process cheese
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts	2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans 1 egg
Vegetable	1 cup of raw leafy vegetables 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit	1 medium apple, banana, orange 1/2 cup of fruit 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta	1 slice of bread 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta