Link: http://www.mypyramid.gov
Eat these amounts from each food group daily. These amounts should maintain your current weight, which is below the healthy range for your height. This plan is a 1800 calorie food pattern. It is based on average needs for someone like you. (A 26 year old female, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 100 pounds, physically active 30 to 60 minutes a day.)
Grains – 6 ounces
Vegetables – 2.5 cups
Fruits – 1.5 cups
Milk – 3 cups
Meat & Beans – 5 ounces
Grains:
- At least 3 ounces of whole grains a day
(popcorn! brown rice… oatmeal… corn tortillas! crackers! noodles! pasta! pitas! pretzels! white bread! white sandwich buns and rolls! white rice!)
| Whole grains: brown rice buckwheat bulgur (cracked wheat) oatmeal popcorn Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals: whole grain barley Less common whole grains: |
Refined grains: cornbread corn tortillas couscous crackers flour tortillas grits noodles Pasta pitas Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals white bread |
Vegetables: – 2.5 cups
- Dark Green Vegetables – 3 cups weekly (romaine lettuce! spinach!)
- Orange Vegetables – 2 cups weekly (carrots! pumpkin! sweet potatoes!)
- Dry Beans & Peas – 3 cups weekly (black beans! pinto beans! tofu!)
- Starchy Vegetables – 3 cups weekly (corn! potatoes! green peas!)
- Other Vegetables – 6.5 cups weekly (cabbage! iceberg lettuce! tomato juice? vegetable juice? would v8 work?)
| Dark green vegetables bok choy broccoli collard greens dark green leafy lettuce kale mesclun mustard greens romaine lettuce spinach turnip greens watercress Orange vegetables Dry beans and peas |
Starchy vegetables corn green peas lima beans (green) potatoes Other vegetables |
Fruits – 1.5 cups
(Apples! Bananas! cherries! grapes! mangoes!!! cantaloupe! watermelon! fruit cocktail! raisins! fruit juice!)
| Apples Apricots Avocado Bananas Berries: Grapefruit Melons: |
Mixed fruits: fruit cocktail Nectarines 100% Fruit juice: |
Milk – 3 cups
(lactaid! cheese! yogurt! ice cream!!)
| Milk All fluid milk: fat-free (skim) low fat (1%) reduced fat (2%) whole milk flavored milks: lactose reduced milks Milk-based desserts* |
Cheese* Hard natural cheeses: cheddar mozzarella Swiss parmesan soft cheeses processed cheeses Yogurt* |
Meat & Beans – 5 ounces
(beef! ham! lamb! pork! chicken! duck! turkey! black beans! pinto beans! tofu! fish!)
| Meats* Lean cuts of: beef ham lamb pork veal Game meats: Lean ground meats: Lean luncheon meats Poultry* Eggs* |
Dry beans and peas: black beans black-eyed peas chickpeas (garbanzo beans) falafel kidney beans lentils lima beans (mature) navy beans pinto beans soy beans split peas tofu (bean curd made from soy beans) white beans bean burgers: tempeh Nuts & seeds* |
Fish* Finfish such as: catfish cod flounder haddock halibut herring mackerel pollock porgy salmon sea bass snapper swordfish trout tuna Shellfish such as: Canned fish such as: |
Oils & Discretionary Calories – 5 teaspoons of oils a day
Limit extra fats & sugars to 195 Calories
