2. Grains Grains are represented by the orange part on the pyramid What are they? Food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley and cereal grains. Why do we need them? Reduces risk of heart disease Weight management Sources of nutrients like fiber, vitamin B and minerals
8. How Much Do You Need? Boys 2 ½ cups daily Girls 2 cups daily Examples of vegetables Broccoli Corn Artichokes Asparagus Cucumbers Sweet Potato Beans- black, kidney, lima, pinto, soy, kidney
9. Fruits Fruits are represented by the red part of the pyramid Why do we need them? Reduces risk for Stroke and type 2 Diabetes Protects against certain cancers They contain nutrients including Potassium, fiber and vitamin C Don’t like fruit? Mix them in a smoothie Try them in yogurt or with a dip Try different textures of fruits
10. How Much Do You Need? Boys 1 ½ cups daily Girls 1 ½ cup daily Examples of fruit Bananas Apples Berries- Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries Apricots Avocado Plums
11. Dairy Dairy/Milk is represented by the blue part of the pyramid Why do you need it? Maintains bone mass throughout our life Calcium helps build bones and teeth It also includes Potassium which helps maintain healthy blood pressure Milk products tend to have a higher overall nutritional quality
12. How Much Do You Need? Boys 3 cups daily Girls 3 cups daily Examples of dairy products All fluid milk-low fat, reduced fat, whole and fat-free Hard natural cheeses- Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella All yogurt Ice cream Lactose intolerant? Choose lactose-free alternatives such as lactose-free milk or yogurt
13. Meat and Beans Meat and beans is represented by the purple part of the pyramid Why do we need them? Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood They help the body release energy Nutrients including vitamin B and E, zinc, iron and magnesium Vegetarian? You can still eat plant-based food like beans and nuts, even milk products and eggs are good sources of protein
14. How Much Do You Need? Boys 5 ounces daily Girls 5 ounces daily Examples of Protein Meats- Beef, Ham, Veal and Pork Beans and peas Fish- catfish, cod, herring, tuna Poultry- chicken, goose, turkey, duck Eggs Nuts and Seeds- almonds, pecans, walnuts
15. Oils Although oils aren’t considered a food group anymore, they are still important to maintain a healthy diet What are they? Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature Why do we need them? They contain monounsaturated for polyunsaturated fats, which are essential for a healthy diet Polyunsaturated contain “essential fatty acids” They are a major source of vitamin E Cottonseed Oils
16. How Much Do You Need? Boys 5 teaspoons daily Girls 5 teaspoons daily Examples of oils Canola Corn Olive You can also get oils from foods like nuts, olives, some fish and avocados
17. Why Follow the Food Pyramid? It makes sure all your nutritional needs are met in a variety of ways If you follow the Food Pyramid then you will have a healthy diet and you’ll stay within daily calorie needs, while getting the most nutrition out of those calories
18. Staying Healthy Along with following the Food Pyramid, you should make sure you exercise regularly to stay healthy and fit Diet and exercise are both important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle
19. Citations Lain Buchanan, “Nuts!”, March 11, 2006 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution Cottonseedoil, “Cottonseed Oil”, January 18, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution TheCulinaryGeek, “Strawberry Ice Cream Cone”, September 10, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
