Understanding The Food Pyramid

All of us grew up learning about the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid, which shows the amounts and types of foods recommended for good nutrition. I've broken it down to help make it a little easier to manage.

Grains:
Whole-wheat flour
bulgur(cracked wheat)
whole cornmeal
brown rice
oatmeal

You can purchase grains two ways, refined or whole. When a grain product is refined, it has been milled, which means the bran and germ have been removed. This process also removes many B vitamins, fiber and iron. All the white products, such
as white bread, rice flour and degermed cornmeal have been milled. Certain B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, folic acid and thiamin) are added back in to make the product more nourishing. It is important to look for "enriched" on the label to make
sure that this has been done.

It is more beneficial for our bodies to have whole grain products, but if you must eat refined grains, try to be sure and get the "enriched" kind. You can get your daily grain requirement by eating the following whole grain products:

brown rice
buckweat
oatmeal
popcorn
measli
whole wheat cereal
whole grain barley
whole wheat crackers
whole wheat tortillas
wild rice
whole rye
whole wheat bread

Vegetables:
You can include any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice in your diet to fulfill your daily requirements. Vegetables can be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; or may be whole, cut-up or mashed.
They are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content. Here are some commonly eaten vegetables in each subgroup:
Dark green vegetables include: broccoli, dark green leafy lettuce, spinach, collard greens, bok choy, turnip greens.
Starchy vegetables: corn, green beans, lima beans(green), potatoes
Orange vegetables: acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, hubbard squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes.
Dry beans and peas: black beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, tofu, white beans.
Other vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, onions, wax beans, asparagus, beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, green or red peppers.

Fruits: Any fruit of 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. They can be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
Some fruits include: apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, raisins, tangerines, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, raspberries, cherries.

Dairy Products: All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream and butter, are not. Most milk group choices should be
fat-free or low-fat.
Some healthy dairy choices include: whole milk, low fat(1%), reduced fat(2%), skim milk, flavored milks(chocolate/strawberry), milk based desserts such as pudding, frozen yogurt and ice cream, all yogurt, all cheeses. Just remember to choose fat-free
or low-fat varieties to ensure a lower caloric intake.

Meat and Beans: All foods made from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds are considered part of this group as well as the vegetable group. Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain
healthy oils, so choose these foods frequently instead of meat or poultry.
Be certain to choose lean cuts of meat to ensure a lower caloric intake.

Oils:

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Oils come from many different plants and from fish. Some common oils are:

canola oil
corn oil
cottonseed oil
olive oil
safflower oil
soybean oil
sunflower oil

Some oils are used mainly as flavorings, such as walnut oil and sesame oil. A number of foods are naturally high in oils, like:
nuts
olives
some fish
avocados

Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats. Check the Nutrition Facts label to find margarines with 0 grams of trans fat. Amounts of trans fat will be required on labels as of 2006. Many products already provide this information.

Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Oils from plant sources (vegetable and nut oils) do not contain any cholesterol. In fact, no foods from plants sources contain cholesterol.

A few plant oils, however, including coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered to be solid fats.

Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening. Solid fats come from many animal foods and can be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Some common solid fats are:
butter
beef fat (tallow, suet)
chicken fat
pork fat (lard)
stick margarine
shortening


Here are some additional tips that go along with the pyramids guidelines.


Instead of a refined product(such as white bread), substitute with a whole-grain product(whole-wheat bread, for example).

A good whole grain snack is popcorn, with little or no added salt or butter.

Use whole-grain oatmeal or flour when baking treats or cookies.

When it comes to vegetables:

Add chopped vegetables to lasagna or pasta sauce.

Use pureed,cooked vegetables like potatoes to thicken gravies, stews and soups. Flavor, texture and nutrients are added when you do this.

Order your pizza with veggies such as mushrooms, onions, green peppers and tomatoes.

Make a shish-ka-bob using mushrooms purple onions, squash, tomatoes and any colored peppers. Put it on the grill...mmmmmm...wonderful. Add chunks of marinated chicken for a complete meal.

Add shredded carrots or zucchini to quick breads, muffins, meatloaf or casseroles.

There are more ideas that you can find at www.mypyramid.gov.

Here's to a newer healthy you and me!

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