How to Benefit from the Food Pyramid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture created the popular Food Guide Pyramid ten years ago. Recently retiring the original, it has recently launched a new version, reflecting changes in knowledge from advances in science and technology. The Pyramid illustrates what the USDA feels are the elements of a healthy diet. Use the Food Pyramid as a dietary guide and you're health will see the benefits.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Understand that the food groups include grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, and meat/beans. Each group is an inportant element of any diet, and each must be balanced with the others.
2. Eat a minimum of 3 ounces of grains each day. Half of this group should include whole grains. Grains include items such as bread, oats, cereal, crackers, rice and pasta.
3. Eat your veggies. Focus on color for this food group, taking in more green and orange vegetables whenever possible. Add more dried beans and peas to your diet.
4. Focus on fruit. Fresh, frozen, canned or dried, there are many ways to add more fruits into your diet. Best of all, they can make a healthy, yet sweet, dessert.
5. Limit fats. Most fats should come from fish, nuts and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats including butter, margarine and lard.
6. Get calcium through milk and other dairy products. Choose non-fat or low-fat whenever possible. Limit high-fat cheeses. If you are lactose intolerant, get calcium through other sources.
7. Choose lean protein when it comes to meats and beans. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry, and bake, broil or grill rather than breading, sauteing or frying. Include fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for the word "whole" before grain on the list of an item's ingredients.

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