Dairy Group
Protein Foods Group
Fat-free (skim) milk
Low-fat (1%, 2%) milk
Low-fat cheese
Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Cheddar cheese
Chocolate milk
Frozen yogurt
Fruit yogurt
Ice cream
Milk shakes
Processed cheese
Pudding
Swiss cheese
Whole milk
Finfi sh (catfi sh, cod,
bass, pollock, tilapia,
herring, mackerel,
salmon, sardines,
tuna, trout)
Shellfi sh (clams, crab,
oysters, scallops,
shrimp)
Beef
Chicken
Eggs
Ham
Lamb
Pork
Turkey
Veal
3-8
(Continued). (Continued).
Black, kidney, lima,
mung, navy, pinto,
red, and white beans
Black-eyed and
split peas
Chickpeas (garbanzo
beans)
Lentils
Texturized vegetable
protein
Tofu (soybean curd)
Almonds
Macadamia nuts
Peanut butter
Pecans
Sesame seeds
Sunfl ower seeds
Walnuts
Food Groups: Some Foods They Contain
Low-Fat Dairy Products
Foods of Animal Origin Seafood
Dairy Products with More Fat or Added Sugar
Beans and Peas Nuts and Seeds
The parts of MyPlate are different sizes
to remind you to eat more from some food
groups than others. For instance, half of
your plate should be fruits and vegetables.
The most nutritious diets contain
mostly nutrient-dense foods. The way food
is prepared affects how nutrient dense it
is. For instance, steamed broccoli is very
nutrient dense. Topped with cream sauce,
its calories increase more than its nutrients
making it less nutrient dense. Fried, bat-
tered broccoli has even more calories and
is much less nutrient dense. In the grain
group, plain oatmeal is an example of a
nutrient-dense food. Oatmeal sweetened
with sugar has more calories, which makes
it less nutrient dense. Oatmeal cookies
with chocolate chips are even less nutrient
dense. Milk becomes less nutrient dense
as its fat content rises. That means fat-free
milk is more nutrient dense than reduced-
fat milk. Whole milk is less nutrient dense
than both fat-free and reduced-fat milk.
Flavored milks with added fats and sugars,
such as chocolate milk and eggnog, often
are less nutrient-dense milk choices.
All foods are included in MyPlate.
None are left out. That’s because any food
can be part of a nutritious diet. Perhaps
you think you should never have sweet or
Chapter 3 Your Nutrition Toolbox 59
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