Do you remember, in elementary school, when that old funky food pyramid poster plastered to the wall above the cafeteria line stared down at you? Well, as nutritionists have learned more about healthy eating, that good ol’ pyramid has undergone serious reconstruction. A major component of a healthy diet is the consumption of nutrient-dense foods from the five basic food groups. Nancy Clarke recommends the following daily regimen:
Fruit: 1 ½ cups
Vegetables: 2 ½ cups
Grains: 6 ounces (175 grams) Examples: one slice bread or a ½ cup of cooked pasta or rice = one ounce
Dairy: 3 cups (720 ml) – preferably low-fat or fat free versions
Meat and alternatives: 5 one-ounce equivalents. Examples of alternatives: 1 egg or 1 tblspn peanut butter, or ½ ounce nuts = 1 ounce meat. Try to get one small portion of protein into two of your daily meals.
Meat or Alternatives (i.e. tofu) should not be the centerpiece of your meals. You should not have a giant slab of steak in the center of your dish. Your meal should be evenly balanced across the five food groups with slightly more carbohydrates if you are an athlete.
I highly recommend purchasing fruits and veggies (and nuts, if possible) from your local farmer’s market. You will find tastier produce (with higher nutrient value than your typical supermarket produce) and will support your local community. Also, if you take the time to look at the stickers on produce sold at the supermarket, you will find that many of them have traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles to get into your hand. The environment has paid a high price for those fruits and veggies to travel that far. By purchasing from your local farmer’s market you can help prevent this wasteful type of marketing. Go to www.farmersmarket.com to find your neigborhood market or just Google your city name and the word “farmer’s market”.
To get a custom food plan based on your daily caloric intake, go to www.MyPyramid.gov
