The Nutrition Pyramid is a set of food guidelines with an emphasis on which types of foods should be consumed and the recommended portions for each food group in the pyramid.



Recommended Food Groups and Portions:

Whole Grains - Whole grains may be comprised of bread, cereal, rice or pasta. Children should consume 3-6 ounces of whole grains each day. Adults should consume 6-9 ounces daily. Remember to look for "whole grain" when buying your grain based food and ingredients.

Vegetables - Veggies are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Eating dark green and orange vegetables are the best veggies. You may also substitute eating veggies with 100% real veggie juice (V8 for example). Children, boys and girls should consume 1 - 3 cups of vegetables. Men and Women should consume 2.5 - 3 cups of vegetables.

Fruits - Fruits can be fresh, frozen, dried or canned. Fresh fruits are always encouraged over canned fruits. Please be aware that fruits contain natural sugars, sometimes a lot of sugar. Fruit juices should be consumed in moderation since they are almost always very high in sugar content. Children should consume between 1 - 2 cups of fruit. Adults may consume 1.5 - 2 cups of fruit daily.

Oils - Contrary to popular belief oils can be consumed on a daily basis in moderation. There are good oils and there bad oils (or oils to consume in extreme moderation). Oils that are favorable come from sources like fish, vegetable oil and nuts. Oils that are not favorable come from foods like butter, margarine and lard. How much oil is safe to consume on a daily basis? The amount of teaspoons you may consume from oils such as nuts, fish, cooking oils and salad dressings varies on age. In children 3-5 teaspoons is acceptable, in adults 3-6 teaspoons is acceptable. Oils consumed should be low in saturated fat and contain no trans fats (trans fats are one of the main causes of heart disease).

Dairy (milk) - Dairy is often an excellent source of natural calcium, but can contain large amounts of fats, especially saturated fats (which is not good). Fortunately in this day and age we can consume dairy products with virtually no fat (low fat and skim dairy) and still get the best of what dairy has to offer. Children should consume 2-3 cups of dairy a day (milk). Adults should consume 3 cups a day.

Meats - are an excellent source of protein and other nutrients, but are usually over consumed (because they taste great!). Choose low fat meats, such as those from poultry. Try to eat meats that have been broiled, baked or grilled. Fried meats should be avoided as they often contain a lot of saturated fat and trans fat. Children may consume 2-5 ounces of meat, while adults may consume 2-6.5 ounces of meat (daily)