1. U.S. Department of Agriculture or USDA

2. Grains Group Make half your grains whole
Grains are divided into 2 groups:
Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain kernel:
whole grain bread
brown rice
oatmeal
Refined grains have the bran and germ removed from the grain:
white bread
white rice
Some food s that can be found in the grains group are
bread, cereals, popcorn, tortillas, crackers, pasta and noodles

3. What Equals one serving?
You should eat between 5-6 oz. of grains daily
What Equals one serving?
1 slice of bread
1 c. ready to eat cereal
½ c. cooked rice or pasta or cooked cereal
Whole Grains help to
reduce the risk of heart disease
may help with weight management
to reduce the incidence of some cancers

4. Nutrients found in Grain products:
Carbohydrates – main source of energy in our body
B-vitamins
Whole grain products contain fiber
help to reduce incidence of heart disease and some cancers
Iron

5. Protein Group Go lean with Protein
Select lean protein choices whenever possible
The six categories we can choose protein foods from:
meats
poultry
seafood
dried beans and peas
eggs
nuts, peanut butter

6. How much should I eat?
You should eat about 5 oz. of protein a day. A serving is about the size of your fist or a deck of cards. You should eat 2 of those a day.
Foods in the meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and seed group provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Foods in this group are also high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Nutrients found in protein foods
Fats we need some fat in our diets – we should eat more unsaturated and less saturated fat
Protein – helps to build muscles
Iron- works with your red blood cells
Omega three fatty acids – found primarily in seafood

7. Cooking Meats
Since meats will absorb fat from the cooking pan there are three ways to cook that make our meats healthier to eat;
Roasting
Broiling
Grilling
Frying meat is the least healthy method of preparation.

8. VEGETABLES Vary your veggies
You should eat a variety of dark green and starch vegetables. You should also increase the amount of dry beans and peas that you eat.

9. Vegetables are divided into 5 groups:
Dark green - some examples of these would be romaine lettuce, broccoli, spinach, collard greens
Red and Orange Vegetables – sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, red peppers
Beans and peas- pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, split peas
Starchy- corn, potatoes, green peas, green lima beans
Other Vegetables – artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, celery and zucchini

10. How much should you eat?
You should have between 2 and 2-1/2 c. of vegetables everyday.
Reasons we should eat more vegetables:
reduce risk for heart attack and strokes
can reduce incidence of some cancers
increases the fiber intake in our diet
they are lower in calories therefore help to reduce our caloric intake

11. Nutrients found in vegetables
Potassium – helps to regulate your blood pressure
Vitamin A – keeps your eyes and skin healthy
Vitamin C – works with your immune system
Fiber – reduces incidences of heart disease and some cancers
Protein – found in dry beans and peas, builds muscle
Carbohydrates – starch mainly. Gives us energy.

12. FRUITS
Focus on Fruits
We can eat fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned or dried. We can also drink small amounts of 100% fruit juice.
Nutrients found in fruits are:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Potassium
Iron
Fiber
Carbohydrate - sugar

13. How much should I eat every day?
It is recommended that children your age should eat 1-1/2 cups of fruit everyday.
1 medium size piece of fruit equals about one cup
1/2 cup dried fruit equals one cup of fresh fruit
When selecting canned fruits select those that are packed in their own juices not sugared syrup.
When drinking juice make sure you select 100% fruit juice not a juice drink.

14. Choose lowfat dairy products
DAIRY GROUP
Choose lowfat dairy products
Your dairy choices should be lowfat or fat free.
Some groups of dairy products are:
Milk including all flavored milks
Milk based desserts – pudding, frozen yogurt, ice cream
Cheeses, both hard and soft cheeses
Yogurts of all types
Calcium fortified soymilk

15. How much should I have every day?
You should have 3 cups of milk daily
What equals 1 cup of milk?
1 scoop of ice cream equals 1/3 c.
1 slice of processed cheese equals 1/3 c.
½ c. cottage cheese equals ¼ c. of milk
6 oz. of yogurt equals ¾ c.
We need dairy products to help build strong bones and teeth. This is extremely important for teens.

16. NUTRIENTS
Milk is said to be a nearly perfect food as it contains all of the nutrient groups.
Protein – to help build strong bones and teeth
Fat – whole milk 3.5%, 2% has 2% fat, skim milk has .5% or less fat
Carbohydrates – sugar found in milk is lactose
Calcium – helps to build strong bones and teeth
Phosphorus – works with calcium to form strong bones
Vitamin D – called the sunshine vitamin
helps to form the strong bones
Vitamin A – works with keeping your skin and hair healthy