Nutrition
A Healthy Diet
includes foods from all 5 food groups
includes age-appropriate amounts of each food group
limits added sugar and salt
emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
stays within your daily calorie needs
What is a serving size?
Fits in the palm of your hand
About ½ cup
3 large tablespoons
1 apple or banana
3 celery sticks
3 whole dried apricots
Vegetables
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables
Vary your vegetables - eat a RAINBOW
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group
Try to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
Fruits
Focus on fruits
Whole fruits are preferable to juice, but any fruit counts, including fresh, frozen, canned, 100% juice, or dried
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables
Try to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
Grains
Grains are any food made from wheat, oats, rice, cornmeal, barley, or another grain
Make at least half your grains whole. Read labels to find more whole grains like whole wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice
Aim to eat 6-11 servings of grains each day
One serving could be ½ slice bread, ½ cup cereal or cooked pasta, or 3-4 crackers
Protein
Go lean with protein
Keep portion to 1/4 of the plate
Nuts, beans/peas, seeds, poultry, lean meat, seafood, soy, and eggs are in this group
Eat 2 servings of protein each day
A serving of protein might be one ounce of meat, fish, or poultry, 1 egg, or ½ cup of cooked beans
Our body uses proteins to build and repair our bones, skin, muscles, and blood
Dairy
Dairy is an important source of calcium which builds bones and muscles, enables our blood to clot, and helps our heart to beat
Dairy comes from cows milk or soy
A serving of dairy is ½ cup milk, 1 ounce of cheese, or ½ cup yogurt
Aim for 3 servings of dairy each day