Eat a variety of foods
To obtain the nutrients and other substances needed for good health,
vary the foods you eat
Foods contain combinations of nutrients and other
healthful substances. No single food can supply all nutrients in the amounts
you need. For example, oranges provide vitamin C but no vitamin B12; cheese
provides vitamin B12 but no vitamin C. To make sure you get all of the
nutrients and other substances needed for health, choose the recommended
number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups displayed
in the Food Guide Pyramid.
FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID
Use foods from the base of the Food Guide Pyramid as the foundation
of your meals
Americans do choose a wide variety of foods. However,
people often choose higher or lower amounts from some food groups than
suggested in the Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid shows that foods from
the grain products group, along with vegetables and fruits, are the basis
of healthful diets. Enjoy meals that have rice, pasta, potatoes, or bread
at the center of the plate, accompanied by other vegetables and fruit,
and lean and low-fat foods from the other groups. Limit fats and sugars
added in food preparation and at the table.
What counts as a "serving"?
For suggested serving sizes in the Food Guide Pyramid food groups. Notice
that some of the serving sizes are smaller than what you might usually
eat. For example, many people eat a cup or more of pasta in a meal, which
equals two or more servings. So, it is easy to eat the number of servings
recommended.
Choose different foods within each food group
You can achieve a healthful, nutritious eating pattern with many combinations
of foods from the five major food groups. Choosing a variety of foods
within and across food groups improves dietary patterns because foods
within the same group have different combinations of nutrients and other
beneficial substances. For example, some vegetables and fruits are good
sources of vitamin C or vitamin A, while others are high in folate; still
others are good sources of calcium or iron. Choosing a variety of foods
within each group also helps to make your meals more interesting from
day to day.
What about vegetarian diets?
Some Americans eat vegetarian diets for reasons of culture, belief, or
health. Most vegetarians eat milk products and eggs, and as a group, these
lacto-ovo-vegetarians enjoy excellent health. Vegetarian diets are consistent
with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and can meet Recommended
Dietary Allowances for nutrients. You can get enough protein from a vegetarian
diet as long as the variety and amounts of foods consumed are adequate.
Meat, fish, and poultry are major contributors of iron, zinc, and B vitamins
in most American diets, and vegetarians should pay special attention to
these nutrients.
Vegans eat only food of plant origin. Because animal products are the
only food sources of vitamin B12, vegans must supplement their diets with
a source of this vitamin. In addition, vegan diets, particularly those
of children, require care to ensure adequacy of vitamin D and calcium,
which most Americans obtain from milk products.
Foods vary in their amounts of calories and nutrients
Some foods such as grain products, vegetables, and fruits have many nutrients
and other healthful substances but are relatively low in calories. Fat
and alcohol are high in calories. Foods high in both sugars and fat contain
many calories but often are low in vitamins, minerals, or fiber.
People who do not need many calories or who must restrict their food
intake need to choose nutrient-rich foods from the five major food groups
with special care. They should obtain most of their calories from foods
that contain a high proportion of essential nutrients and fiber.
Growing children, teenage girls, and women have higher needs for some
nutrients
Many women and adolescent girls
need to eat more calcium-rich foods to get the calcium needed for healthy
bones throughout life. By selecting lowfat or fat-free milk products and
other lowfat calcium sources, they can obtain adequate calcium and keep
fat intake from being too high . Young children, teenage girls, and women
of childbearing age should also eat enough iron-rich foods, such as lean
meats and whole-grain or enriched white bread, to keep the body's iron
stores at adequate levels.
Enriched and fortified foods have essential nutrients added to them
National policy requires that specified amounts of
nutrients be added to enrich some foods. For example, enriched flour and
bread contain added thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron; skim milk,
lowfat milk, and margarine are usually enriched with vitamin A; and milk
is usually enriched with vitamin D. Fortified foods may have one or several
nutrients added in extra amounts. The number and quantity of nutrients
added vary among products. Fortified foods may be useful for meeting special
dietary needs. Read the ingredient list to know which nutrients are added
to foods. How these foods fit into your total diet will depend on the
amounts you eat and the other foods you consume.
Where do vitamin, mineral, and fiber supplements fit in?
Supplements of vitamins, minerals, or fiber also may help to meet special
nutritional needs. However, supplements do not supply all of the nutrients
and other substances present in foods that are important to health. Supplements
of some nutrients taken regularly in large amounts are harmful. Daily
vitamin and mineral supplements at or below the Recommended Dietary Allowances
are considered safe, but are usually not needed by people who eat the
variety of foods depicted in the Food Guide Pyramid.
Sometimes supplements are needed to meet specific nutrient requirements.
For example, older people and others with little exposure to sunlight
may need a vitamin D supplement. Women of childbearing age may reduce
the risk of certain birth defects by consuming folate-rich foods or folic
acid supplements. Iron supplements are recommended for pregnant women.
However, because foods contain many nutrients and other substances that
promote health, the use of supplements cannot substitute for proper food
choices.
ADVICE FOR TODAY
Enjoy eating a variety of foods. Get the many nutrients your body needs
by choosing among the varied foods you enjoy from these groups: grain
products, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products, protein-rich plant
foods (beans, nuts), and protein-rich animal foods (lean meat, poultry,
fish, and eggs). Remember to choose lean and lowfat foods and beverages
most often. Many foods you eat contain servings from more than one food
group. For example, soups and stews may contain meat, beans, noodles,
and vegetables.
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