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By looking at this pyramid you can see which
foods you should be eating more of, and which foods you should be
eating less of. Sweets at the top of the pyramid should be limited
as they are not needed by the body. Foods high in carbohydrates
lie at the base of the pyramid, because a much larger quantity is
needed to supply your body with long term energy.
How much exactly is a serving.
6 to 11 servings of pasta probably seems like
a heck of a lot. The actual serving size referred to by this pyramid
is probably less than you normally think of as a serving. Here are
examples of different foods and what is considered a serving for
each by this pyramid:
| Food Type |
Amount considered by the pyramid
to be 1 serving |
| |
|
| Dairy |
1 serving |
| reduced fat milk or yogurt |
1 cup |
| natural cheese (hard cheeses like
Cheddar) |
1.5 ounces |
| processed cheese (soft cheese like
American) |
2 ounces |
| soy-based beverage with added calcium |
1 cup |
| |
|
| Vegetables |
1 serving |
raw leafy veggies
(lettuce, spinach) |
1 cup |
other vegetables
(cooked or raw) |
1/2 cup |
| dry beans, peas and lentils |
1/2 cup |
| vegetable juice |
3/4 cup |
| |
|
| Fruit |
1 serving |
| apple, banana, orange, pear |
1 (medium sized) |
| chopped, cooked, or canned fruit |
1/2 cup |
| fruit juice |
3/4 cup |
| |
|
| Grains (Bread, Cereal, Rice &
Pasta) |
1 serving |
| bread |
1 slice |
| cold cereal |
1 cup |
| cooked cereal, rice or pasta |
1/2 cup |
| bagel |
1/4 |
| |
|
|
Meat, dried beans and nuts
(2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat counts as 1 serving)
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|
For this group, it's easier to count
ounces of lean meat instead of servings.
6 ounces of lean meat daily for girls.
7 ounces of lean meat daily for boys.
Every food has its own combination of nutrients. Meat is important
because it provides creatine, a nutrient needed by your muscles.
These other foods contain their own special nutrients. So
for a healthy variety of nutrients, include the following
foods when counting your daily ounces of lean meat. Each
amount below should be counted as 1 ounce of lean meat.
|
1/2 cup of cooked dried
beans, peas, lentils or tofu
(Dry beans, peas and lentils can either be counted as part of
your meat group or as part of your vegetable group.) |
| 1 egg |
| 2.5 ounce soyburger |
| 2 tablespoons of peanut
butter |
| 1/3 cup of nuts |
Obviously we don't expect you to bring a measuring
cup and scale everywhere you go. We suggest
measuring out one serving of each food. By doing so you can
get a good idea of what 1 serving looks like. You can then look
at a meal and count roughly how many servings of each group you
are eating.
We also don't expect you to keep track of exactly
how many servings of each group you eat every single day. We
do recommend taking one day to record on paper the number of servings
you eat for each food group. If you are way off the recommended
servings, then try to figure out what you need to do, in order to
get on track. Adjust your eating habits and take another day to
record your servings. Once your eating habits match the recommended
servings, stick to that plan. Once every few months, take a day
to record your servings again to see if you are still on track.
When figuring out servings, don't rely on a
package label. Instead use the table above.
The serving sizes in this table don't always equal the serving size
referred to by a package label.
As you can see from the
serving recommendations, servings for teenage girls normally should
fall somewhere in the middle of the recommended range. Servings
for most teenage boys and vigorously active girls should fall in
the upper end of the recommended range. Males in general
have a faster metabolism than females and thus use up nutrients
more quickly. As a result they should consume slightly more servings
of each group per day.
Most teenage girls should consume about
2200 calories per day.
Most teenage boys and vigorously active girls should
consume about 2800 calories per day.
No time for breakfast? How about
time for a glass of juice and an energy bar? Try an energy bar with
around 250 total calories, at least 3 grams of fiber and 7 grams
of fat Ð no more than 2 grams of saturated fat.
Best energy bars:
Cranberry-apple-cherry, or carrot cake Cliff bar
Harvest apple crisp Power bar
Odwalla peanut crunch bar
Water it also does a body good!
50-60% of the food you eat should be water content food. Drink around
8 glasses of water a day and your body will thank you. Urine deep
orange? You're dehydrated.
Urine pale yellow? You're doing great.
Limit the fat you eat to no more than 25% of your
daily intake. If you have a family history of
cancer, then avoid unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in
margarine, corn oil and fried foods. If you have a family history
of heart disease, then avoid saturated fats found in butter.
Gradually increase your daily dose of fiber until
it reaches 20 to 35 grams a day. No more. Use
soluble fiber found in oats, dried beans and fruit. Don't go crazy
on whole wheat - too much can inhibit absorption of minerals you
need during the teenage years.
Plastics and metals in the Microwave: Bad
Glass or Pyrex in the Microwave: Good
Plastics leak carcinogenic chemicals including
DEHA, short for di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate, into your food, thus making
your food toxic. Metals, like those in aluminim foil or tin foil,
are unstable in the microwave. To be safe always put your food in
a container made of glass or Pyrex. Pyrex is a brand of durable
high-temperature material used for high-performance bakeware. If
you don't have a cover made of glass or Pyrex, use Wax paper to
cover the glass or Pyrex container. Never use Saran Wrap, Handi-Wrap,
aluminum foil, tin foil, etc. to cover your food. Wax paper, a glass
lid or pyrex lid are the safest solutions.
So many things to remember! The following "Dietary
Guidelines For Americans" has been provided by the government
to help simplify your life. (According to the
the United States Department of Health and Human Resources, and
the United States Department of Agriculture, you should...)
Aim for fitness...
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
Build a healthy base...
- Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially
whole grains.
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables
daily.
- Keep food safe to eat.
Choose sensibly...
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat
and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your
intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in
moderation.
...for good health
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