96
Part One Food Habits: A Lifestyle Choice
nuts and seeds, and seafood are all found
in this group. Choose lean meats and
poultry to avoid saturated fats and
cholesterol. Include at least eight ounces
of cooked seafood per week. Beans and
peas are also found in the vegetable group.
Dairy. The dairy group includes
foods high in protein and calcium for
bone health such as milk, cheese, milk-
based desserts, and yogurt. It also includes
calcium-fortifi ed soymilk for people with
lactose intolerance. Calcium fortifi ed foods
and beverages may provide calcium, but
lack other nutrients supplied by foods
in this group.
Oils. Oils are fats that are liquid
at room temperature and are obtained
from a variety of plants and fi sh. Oils are
not a food group, but some are needed
in the diet to provide essential nutrients.
For this reason, there is an allowance for
oils in your daily food plan. Only small
amounts of oils are recommended because
they are high in calories and can easily
cause an imbalance between calories
consumed and daily activity level. Foods
that are rich in oils such as soft marga-
rines, mayonnaise, and salad dressings
are counted in this allowance for oils.
Fats that are solid at room tempera-
ture are not included in the allowance
for oils. Common solid fats include
butter, beef fat, chicken fat, pork fat,
stick margarine, and shortening. The
fat in milk is also considered solid fat
because milk fat, or butterfat, is solid at
room temperature. Solid fats are not
necessary for good health and are
considered empty calories. Empty calories
such as those from foods high in solid
fats and added sugars (SoFAS) provide
few or no nutrients. Empty calories
should be limited to avoid exceeding
your recommended calorie intake.
A Daily Food Plan for You
The Web site at
ChooseMyPlate.gov
offers a number of interactive tools to
help individuals plan and assess their
daily food and activity choices. One of
these tools is “Daily Food Plan” which
helps you create a personalized food plan
based on your age, sex, height, weight,
and activity level. After you enter this
data, the plan selects the food intake
pattern that is right for you. Many teens
require 2,000 calories daily, 4-4.
The plan also aims to help people
balance food intake and physical activity
to promote healthy weight. Your level of
physical activity infl uences the amount
of food you consume.
Extend
Your Knowledge
Choose Nutrient Dense
Individuals can consume only a limited number
of calories if they want to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
Therefore, you should choose foods that supply the
nutrients you need for health, but add few additional
calories from unnecessary solid fats and added
sugars. In other words—choose nutrient-dense foods
and beverages. Unfortunately, many Americans
choose foods that are not nutrient dense. You do not
have to give up your favorite foods, just choose the
more nutrient-dense form of your favorite food.
Which food would you choose?
1 cup French fried potatoes (117 calories +
141 calories from frying fat)
or
baked potato (117 calories)
1 cup sweetened applesauce (105 calories+
68 calories from added sugar)
or
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (105 calories)
3 ounces grilled chicken breast (138 calories)
or
3 ounces fried chicken strips (138 calories +
108 calories from breading and frying fat)