What Are the Different Food Groups?

Balanced Diet

The Department of Agriculture has published guidelines to help Americans make wise food choices in their daily lives. These guidelines are aimed toward ensuring a healthy lifestyle. Essentially, we should minimize our consumption of fats and sweets, and eat lots of healthy carbohydrates and proteins. A balanced, healthy diet helps our bodies to fight disease and resist obesity.

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta

Whole Grain Breads

According to USDA recommendations, grain-based foods should provide the basis of our daily diets. You should always try to eat whole grains, because the process used to make white bread and cereal removes most of the fiber and lots of the good nutrients.

Vegetables

A Wide Variety of Colorful Vegetables

Vegetables contain good carbohydrates and fiber, as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. Different vegetables contain different nutrients, so you should always try to eat a mixture during each day.

Fruits

Fresh Fruits

Like vegetables, fruits contain good carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain natural sugars which can satisfy any sweet tooth. Fruit juices are good sources of fiber and vitamins, but the fruit itself is even better for you.

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese

Cheese

Dairy products, especially low-fat or fat-free varieties, are a great source of protein, calcium and iron. Everyone needs these nutrients for bone density and overall health and should consume some on a daily basis.

Meat, Fish, Eggs and Nuts

Cooking Fish on the Grill

Protein provides the basic tools our bodies need for building our blood, bones and tissues. While many types of meat are high in fat, we can control that by using leaner cuts. Most Americans eat plenty of protein and don't need to worry too much about increasing consumption.

Sweets, Oils and Fats

Doughnut Shop

While our bodies need small amounts of fat, there is very little nutritional value to the foods in this group. Even small quantities are very high in calories. Sweets and fats provide us with flavor and texture though, and when eaten in moderation they add both variety and appeal to the everyday diet.

References

• The Food Guide Pyramid
• Food Groups to Encourage
• General Mills "Eat Better America"

Resources

• USDA MyPyramid.gov