Where Do Your Favorite Foods Fit?

“I like pizza a lot. What food group is it in?”

“If I try to follow the pyramid, does that mean no more fast food?”

"When it says, ‘6 to 11 servings’ of grains, how many should I eat?”

Have you ever looked at the Food Guide Pyramid and had questions like these? If so, read on to see how you can follow the pyramid and fit the foods you like to eat into a healthy way to eat.

The Food Guide Pyramid is a great starting point for your food choices. Choosing foods according to the pyramid can help you get all the nutrients that you need for health. No single food or food group supplies all the nutrients in the amounts you need—so choose the recommended number of servings from each Pyramid food group.



How much do you need from each group?
The pyramid gives a range of servings for each group. The number of servings you need depends on your calorie and nutrient needs. These are based on your age, sex and level of physical activity. For example, if you are an inactive woman, you should choose the fewer daily servings from each food group. If you become physically active, your food needs will increase and you can choose more servings from each group. Your teenage son may need more servings from each group to get more calories and nutrients.

How much is a serving?
Remember, portion sizes and serving sizes may not be the same. A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat. There is no standard portion size. A serving is a standard amount of food. It is used to help give advice about how much to eat, or to identify how many calories and nutrients are in a food. Check the nutrition facts label on foods for the serving size and what is in one serving. You’ll get more nutrients (and calories and fat) by eating more than one serving.

So what about fast foods?
We all need to pay attention to our choices when eating. Many menu items may be high in calories and fat. Fast food menus also tend to have limited variety and choices of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Make sure you get enough of these at other meals or as snacks. If you eat fast foods often, check out these tips.

• Extras such as sauces, cheese or bacon on burgers can add a lot of calories and fat. Try your burger with lettuce, tomato and onion instead.
• Order small or medium sizes—super-size portions aren’t a bargain if they have more calories and fat than you need.
• Try a green salad instead of the macaroni salad or fries.
• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, fruit juice or water as a beverage instead of the soda.

For more information and the complete article on “Where do your favorite foods fit?” go to the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Web site.