Part I. Choose a Target Number of Servings

Choose a target number of servings for each food group based on the approximate number of calories you consume each day: 1600 calories is about right for many sedentary women and some older adults; 2200 calories is about right for most children, teenage girls, active women, and many sedentary men; 2800 calories is about right for teenage boys, many active men, and some very active women.

*Women who are pregnant or lactating, teenagers, and young adults to age 24 need 3 servings.
** The Pyramid recommends 2-3 servings per day, the equivalent of 5-7 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish.

Part II. Select Healthy Choices from Each Food Group

Look over the following lists of examples for each of the Pyramid food groups. These lists are broken into subgroups to emphasize foods that are particularly good sources of dietary fiber or of certain vitamins and minerals that are low in the diets of many Americans; food items with more fat and sugar are also identified. Hints for making healthy choices within each food group are provided.

For each food group, complete the following:

1. Select the items you eat most often. If a food you commonly eat doesn't appear on the list, add it to the appropriate group and subgroup and then select it.

2. Review the selected items, and analyze your current diet. Do your typical food choices conform to the recommendations in the hints section? Do you eat a variety of foods within each group?

3. Based on your analysis of your current diet, and with the goal of eating a variety of healthy foods, choose 3-6 items in each food group either to try for the first time or to eat more often. Choose food items that conform to the advice in the hints section and that are available and affordable.

Hints:

1. Choose foods made from unprocessed, whole grains.
2. Choose foods low in fat and sugars.
3. Go easy on the fat and sugars you add as spreads, seasonings, or toppings.

Foods to try or emphasize:

Hints:

1. For variety, eat dark-green leafy vegetables, deep-yellow vegetables, starchy vegetables, legumes, and other types of vegetables. Dark-green leafy vegetables, deep-yellow vegetables, and legumes are particularly high in nutrients and fiber.

2. Limit the fat you add to vegetables during cooking and at the table (as spreads and toppings).

3. Legumes can be counted as servings of vegetables or as alternatives to meat.

Foods to try or emphasize:

Hints:

1. Citrus fruits, melons, and berries are particularly good choices.

2. Choose whole fruits more often than juices; choose fruit juices over fruit punches, ades, and drinks.

3. For canned fruits, choose those packed in fruit juice rather than in syrup.

Foods to try or emphasize:

Hints:

1. To limit your intake of fat and saturated fat, choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry. Trim away all the fat you can see. Watch serving sizes carefully.

2. Choose at least one serving of plant proteins (legumes, nuts, seeds) per day, but choose moderate serving sizes of nuts and seeds, which are high in fat.

Foods to try or emphasize:

Hints:

1. Choose lowfat or nonfat items to limit your overall fat intake. Limit serving sizes of high-fat choices.

2. Cottage cheese is lower in calcium than most cheeses.

Foods to try or emphasize:

Hints:

1. Foods from this group provide calories but few nutrients; they should not replace foods from the other groups. If your intake of foods from this group is high, consider developing a behavior change strategy to substitute healthier food choices from other groups.

2. Limit your intake of reduced-fat versions of foods--they are often very high in both added sugar and calories.

3. When choosing among different types of fats, favor unsaturated fats (vegetable and fish oils) over saturated and trans fats (animal fats, palm and coconut oils, hydrogenated fats).

Sources: Shaw, A., et al. 1997. Using the Food Guide Pyramid: A Resource for Nutrition Educators. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. U. S. Department of Agriculture (retrieved January 8, 1998; http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/guide.pdf). U. S. Department of Agriculture. 1996. The Food Guide Pyramid. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 252.