Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices 145 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. two drinks or less per day and adult females should limit intake to one drink or less per day. Some adults should not drink alcohol, such as women who are pregnant. MyPlate To help people with their diet choices, the USDA created flexible patterns for healthy eating. These patterns outline daily amounts of foods to eat from five major food groups. The recommended daily intakes are determined by a person’s calorie needs. Eating the suggested amounts of foods from each group daily will provide people with required nutrients. The USDA’s food guidance system is called MyPlate. The MyPlate.gov website offers a variety of information and links to help people make healthy eating choices. A key element of the MyPlate system is its simple visual message. The MyPlate icon helps people visualize how the food groups fit together to build a healthy plate at mealtime (Figure 8.8). Choosing nutrient-dense forms of foods from each food group will allow people to stay within their calorie limits. Grains Group The grains group includes such foods as breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. These foods are excellent low-fat sources of complex carbohy- drates, which supply energy. They are also good sources of B vitamins and iron. Whole-grain foods are high in fiber as well. Amounts of foods in this group are counted in ounce-equivalents. This term refers to a portion size that is equal to a one-ounce (28 g) serving. MyPlate divides this group into two subgroups—whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains include whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, and brown rice. Refined grains include foods like white bread, enriched pasta, and white rice. People should make at least half their daily grain food choices from the whole-grains subgroup. Vegetable Group The vegetable group includes any vegetable or 100-percent vegetable juice. Vegetables may be raw or cooked canned, frozen, or dried and may be whole, cut up, or mashed. These foods are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. USDA Figure 8.8 The MyPlate icon shows a place setting to illustrate the proportions of the five food groups that should make up a healthy diet. Health and Wellness Make Half Your Grains Whole Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, barley, and whole wheat, are good sources of dietary fiber. Getting enough fiber in the diet helps keep bowels working properly. Fiber also helps people feel full after eating, so they may be less likely to overeat. Refined-grain products do not provide all the nutrients and fiber found in whole grains. Many refined-grain products, such as cakes and cookies, are also high in solid fats and added sugars. Health experts recommend people get at least half their daily grain needs from whole-grain sources. Look for whole-grain ingredients to appear first on ingredient lists for bread and cereal products. (Be aware that whole-wheat flour refers to a whole-grain ingredient but wheat flour does not.) Choose a variety of grain foods to receive the most health benefits.