1. Making Good Food Choices

2. What Influences Food Choices?
Hunger vs Appetite
Natural need to eat (and not starve)
Desire to eat
Emotions
Stress, anger, happy, sad, boredom, etc.
Environment
Family & friends
Culture & Ethnic Background
Religion, Heritage
Convenience & Cost
Where you live, lifestyle, income
Advertising

3. Food Guide Pyramid
The US Federal Government created a food pyramid to be a guide to healthy living
It gives recommendations for
Eating healthy
Regular exercise

7. Make Half Your Plate Fruits & Veggies
Fruit Group
Vegetable Group
Any fruit or 100 % fruit juice counts
Fruits may be
Fresh, canned, frozen, or dried
Whole, cut-up, or pureed
1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit daily
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts
Veggies may be
Raw or cooked
Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated
Whole, cut-up, or mashed
2 ½ to 3 cups of veggies daily

8. Make Half Your Grains Whole Grains
Refined Grains
Whole-wheat flour
Cracked wheat
Oatmeal
Whole cornmeal
Brown rice
White flour
White bread
White rice
Daily Requirement: 3 or 4 “ounce equivalents”

9. Protein Foods
All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, soy products, nuts, and seeds
Include at least 8 oz of cooked seafood a week
Vegetarian Choices: eggs, beans and peas, nuts, nut butters, soy products (tofu, tempeh, etc.)
Select a variety of protein foods to improve health benefits
Daily Requirement 5 – 6 “ounce equivalents”
Groups/ProteinFoods/food-groups.protein-foods-counts.pdf

10. Dairy & Oils Milk & Milk Products Daily Requirement – 3 cups
Includes calcium fortified soymilk
Does not include cream cheese, cream, butter
Daily Requirement – 3 cups
Fats that are liquid at room temperature
Not a food group
Provide essential nutrients
Daily allowance – 5 or 6 teaspoons

12. Empty Calories Calories from solid fats and/or added sugars
Add calories to food, but few or no nutrients
Solid Fats – room temp
Beef fat, butter, shortening
Added Sugars – sugars & syrups that are added when foods or beverages are processed or prepared
Daily limit – 160 or 265 Calories