The Food Pyramid, developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a great tool to assist you in making healthy food choices. 
The food pyramid can assist you in selecting from a variety of different foods so you receive the nutrients your body needs.  The suggested portion sizes help control the intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium in your diet.

You can download a free printable version the following Food Pyramid & Guide here.

Use the Food Pyramid to guide your choices.
Choose low fat dairy and lean meat.
Limit saturated fat to 10% of your calories, and base fat intake on calorie needs

Bread, Cereal, Grain and Pasta Form the Base

At the bottom, or base, of the food pyramid, is the group that contains breads, grains, cereals and pastas. These versatile foods provide complex carbohydrates — an important source of energy, especially in a low-fat diet.  You’ll need 6 to 11 servings of these foods in a day.

Examples of a single serving from this group are:

• 1/2 c. of rice, pasta or cooked cereal
• 1 tortilla
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 c. of ready-to-eat cereal

Try to consume whole-grain breads, cereal and pasta for most of your servings from this group.  Whole-grain foods, made with whole-wheat flour, are less processed and retain more valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber than foods made with white processed flour. When you purchase whole-grain foods, look for breads and pastas with “stone-ground whole wheat flour” as the first ingredient, because some “wheat” breads may be white breads with only caramel coloring added.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Many are excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. They are high in fiber and low in fat and sodium. The Food Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day.

Examples of a single serving from this group are:

• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup of other cooked or raw vegetables,
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice
• 1 medium apple, orange or banana
• 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice

Count only fruit juice that is 100% as a serving of fruit, and limit juice consumption. Most bottled juices come in containers that hold multiple servings, which can add sugar and calories to your diet. Punches, and most fruit “drinks” have a small portion of juice and a lot sugar. Fruit flavored sodas are sugar drinks, and they do not count as fruit.

Fats and Sweets

At the top of the Food Pyramid is the smallest group.  Fats and sweets are in the top of the Food Pyramid and make up the smallest percentage of your daily diet. These foods should be eaten sparingly because they provide calories but little nutrition.

These foods include: butter, oils, cream, salad dressings, sugars, soft drinks, candy and sweet desserts.

Lean Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs

Meat, poultry and fish are good sources of protein, iron and zinc. Dried peas and beans also provide many of these nutrients.  The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of cooked meat, fish or poultry.

Examples of a single serving from this group are:

• One egg
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup cooked dry beans
• 1/3 cup of nuts

Select lean meat, fish and dry beans and peas often since these are the lowest in fat. Trim off visible fat on meat, and remove skin from poultry.  Avoid frying.  When it comes to nuts, use moderation, as they are high in fat.

Dairy Products

Milk products provide vitamins and minerals — especially calcium, and protein.  The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day.  If you are breast-feeding, pregnant, a teenager or a young adult age 24 or under, try to have 3 servings.  Go easy on high-fat cheese and ice cream.  Cottage cheese is lower in calcium that most other cheeses and one cup counts as only 1/2 serving of milk. Select non-fat milk and yogurt and cheeses made from skim milk because they are lowest in fat.

Examples of a single serving from this group are:

• 1 cup of milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounce of natural cheese
• 1 ounce of process cheese

So What’s Your Caloric Limit?

You need to have enough calories every day in order for your body to have the nutrients it needs. How many calories that actually amounts to depends on a variety of factors including your:

• Age
• Sex
• Size
• Activity level
• Whether or not you are a pregnant or breast-feeding woman
• Whether you have a chronic illness

The National Academy of Sciences recommends the following calorie categories:

• 1,600 calories – Many sedentary women and some older adults
• 2,200 calories – Children, teenage girls, active women and many sedentary men.
• Women who are pregnant may need around 500 calories moreper day and an additional 300 calories for breast-feeding.
• 2,800 calories – Teenage boys, active men and very active women

It’s possible that you may be between calorie categories on the chart. If you are then you will need to estimate servings.  For example, some less active women may need only 2,000 calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you are at this calorie level, 8 servings from the grain group would be about right.

How Many Servings Are Right For You?

Now that you know how many calories are suggested, you can address the question of how many servings of each food group you need. Here’s a chart that can help:

Helpful Hints

Reading the food label can come in handy for portion size on items like packaged items such as soup, yogurt, snack foods, sauces, etc.  You can discover what is considered one serving by checking the top of the food label.

You don’t need to measure. Just use servings as a general guide. Sometimes you’ll have to estimate the food group servings. For example a generous serving of pizza counts in the grain group (crust), milk group (cheese), and vegetable group (tomato, mushrooms, peppers and onions).  Remember that a dish such as pizza has a lot of fat.

You have certainly heard it before, but the best way to lose weight is to increase the amount of physical activity you get and reduce the fat and sugar in your food choices. Remember to eat at least the minimum number of servings from all five food groups shown in the Food Pyramid. If you select fat and sugar rich foods and not consume enough healthy foods, you won’t be getting the nutrition you need. Try to choose from the lowest fat choices in the food groups.

If you need to gain weight, increase the amount of food you eat from all of the food groups. If you have lost weight unexpectedly, see your doctor.

The Food Pyramid & Guide can be very useful.  Whether you wish to gain weight, lose weight or maintain your current weight, eating a healthy diet is easier if you base your daily diet on the Food Pyramid.

You can download a free printable version of The Food Pyramid & Guide here.