NutritionPage 2 of 5
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How Much Should
I Eat?
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) has developed the Food Guide Pyramid  to help
you make healthy food choices. There are five major food groups. Every
day you should try to eat the suggested number of servings from each
group. If you can’t do that, at least try to eat something from each
group each day. Lower fat choices are best.
Make sure you eat vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. The food
groups are:
Grains—6-11
servings; one serving
is:
- One roll, slice of bread,
or small muffin,
- 1/2 bagel or English muffin,
- 1/2 cup of cooked rice
or pasta,
- 1/2 cup of cooked cereal,
or
- about 1 cup (1 oz.) of
ready-to-eat cereal.
Vegetables—3-5
servings; one serving
is:
- 1/2 cup of chopped raw
or cooked vegetables, or
- 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables.
Fruits—2-4
servings; one serving
is
- 1 medium piece of fruit
or melon wedge,
- 3/4 cup of juice,
- 1/2 cup of canned fruit,
or
- 1/4 cup of dried fruit.
Milk, yogurt,
and cheese—2-3 servings (3 for people over 50);
one serving is:
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt,
or
- 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese.
One cup of soup
made with milk, 1/2 cup of pudding from "scratch" or a mix,
or 1 cup of cottage cheese counts as half a serving.
Meat, poultry,
fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts—2-3 servings (to equal 5 to 7 ounces
of lean meat, poultry, or fish);
one serving is:
- 2 to 3 ounces of cooked
lean meat, poultry, or fish,
- 1/2 cup of tuna fish,
or
- 1/2 cup of cooked beans
or tofu, 1 egg, 1/3 cup of nuts, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter—each
of which can count as one ounce of meat.
Some other tips:
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