We cover general food guidelines for children and adults; fitting fruits and vegetables into your family’s diet and information that you are not just what you eat, but what you drink too!
Nutrition Basics
It is important to eat food from all categories to maintain good health and prevent disease. When trying to eat a healthy diet remember these 3 things:
- Balance: Balance the foods you eat with the amount of physical activity you get each day, this will help avoid gain.
- Moderation: Eat in moderate quantities to satisfy your appetite, but go no further. Listen to your body! It will tell you when you are full or hungry. Do not ignore your body!
- Variety: Eat a variety of foods, this way over the course of a week you are getting all the nutrients you need from a variety of foods.
All foods are put into a category based on their biochemical structures and nutrient compositions. There are two types of nutrients: Macronutrients and Micronutrients.
Macronutrients are needed in large amounts; they are made up of the following with a recommended daily consumption range:
- Carbohydrates: 45-65% of calories
- Fat: 20-35% of calories
- Protein: 15-20% of calories
This balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates provide your body with energy and structure and are essential to overall good health. To help you perform at your best, try to include items at each meal and snack that include all of these macronutrients.
Micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts and include vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. While these nutrients don’t provide your body with energy, they work together with the macronutrients to help with virtually every body process and are also essential to overall good health.
Food Groups and the Food Guide Pyramid
The key to eating healthy and getting all of the essential nutrients discussed above is to eat from all 5 food groups recommended by the Food Guide Pyramid. All foods fall into one of these 5 categories plus an additional one called discretionary calories, which includes added fats and sugars. Recommendations for how much an individual should consume each day for good health vary based on age, sex, and activity level. A range for adults and children is provided below.
Grains
This group includes food items such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta and provides us with mostly carbohydrates, but also protein and fat. They also contain B vitamins, magnesium, and iron.
Adults should consume 5 to 10 ounces (1oz.=1slice of bread, 1/2 cup rice or pasta) of grains a day with at least half of these being whole grains. Whole grains include all three parts of the grain (endosperm, bran, and germ) and have the most fiber.
Kids should consume 4 to 10 ounces of grains a day with at least half of these being whole grains.
Vegetables
Vegetables provide mainly carbohydrates, with only a tiny bit of protein and fat, and the non-starchy ones contain very few calories. They are also a powerhouse of vitamin A, potassium, fiber and many phytonutrients.
Adults should consume between 2 and 4 cups a day, which should include a mixture of dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), orange vegetables (carrots, bell peppers), starchy vegetables (potatoes), and other vegetables (zucchini, lettuce).
Kids should consume 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day, which should also include a mixture.
Fruits
Similar to vegetables in composition, they too are a powerhouse of nutrients providing vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and all sorts of phytonutrients.
be careful! While fruits are very healthy foods, they do have more calories than vegetables and should not be eaten in abundance if trying to lose or maintain weight.
Adults should eat between 1.5 and 2.5 cups a day and should choose a rainbow of colors for variety.
Kids should consume 1 to 2.5 cups a day and should choose a rainbow of colors too!
Milk and Other Dairy Products
Dairy products contain all three of the macronutrients and are full of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus.
Be careful! Dairy products are a major source of the “bad” saturated fat.
Choose items that are low in fat or fat free such as 1% or skim milk, low fat yogurt and 2% milk cheese.
Adults should consume 2 to 3 cups a day.
Kids should consume 2 to 3 cups a day too!
Meats and Beans
Foods from this group are an excellent source of iron.
- Meat contains protein and fat and supplies a healthy dose of most B vitamins; beans provide protein, fat, and carbohydrates and are loaded with fiber.
- Beans aren’t just for vegetarians; everyone should include several servings of beans in their diet each week.
BE CAREFUL! Meats are the other major source of “bad” fat in our diet.
CHOOSE lean cuts such as chicken or turkey breast, fish, and sirloin or pork tenderloin.
Adults should consume 5 to 6 ounces from this food group a day, including nuts, eggs, and soy products.
Kids should consume 3 to 6 ounces a day.
Discretionary Calories
You may have read something about “discretionary calories” included in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.
These are like spare change you carry around in your pocket and are the remaining calories you have each day after eating all nutrient dense foods, above. These calories vary depending on age, sex, and your activity level, but most adults have only 150 to 300 calories to use each day on added fats and sugars.
BE CAREFUL! This is only one large soda or a bag of potatoes chips, so watch how you spend your extra change!
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