Chapter 4 Nutrition Guidelines
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MyPlate also has tools for children,
women who are pregnant or breast-
feeding, and individuals who speak
Spanish. You will want to access the
other tools on
ChooseMyPlate.gov
as
you read this textbook.
Measuring Food Amounts
You must know how to measure the
various amounts of foods your Daily
Food Plan recommends. People often
have very different ideas about how big
a serving size is. To avoid confusion,
4-4 Using the MyPlate system to plan daily food choices and exercise patterns can
help you get the balance of nutrients and activity you need for good health. Credit: USDA
Find your balance between
food and physical activity
Be physically active for at least
60 minutes each day.
Know your limits on fats, sugars, and sodium
Your allowance for oils is 6 teaspoons a day.
Limit extras–solid fats and sugars–to 260 Calories a day.
Reduce sodium intake to less than 2300 mg a day.
Your results are based on a 2000 calorie pattern. Name:
This calorie level is only an estimate of your needs. Monitor your body weight to see if you need to adjust your calorie intake.
My Daily Food Plan
Based on the information you provided, this is your daily recommended amount from each food group.
GRAINS
6 ounces
Make half your grains whole
Aim for at least 3 ounces of whole grains a day
VEGETABLES
2½ cups
Vary your veggies
Aim for these amounts each week:
Dark green veggies = 1½ cups Red & orange veggies = 5½ cups
Beans & peas = 1½ cups Starchy veggies = 5 cups
Other veggies = 4 cups
FRUITS
2 cups
Focus on fruits
Eat a variety of fruit
Choose whole or cut-up fruits more often than fruit juice
DAIRY
3 cups
Get your calcium-rich foods
Drink fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, for the same amount of calcium and
other nutrients as whole milk, but less fat and calories
Select fat-free or low-fat yogurt and cheese, or try calcium-fortified
soy products
PROTEIN FOODS
5½ ounces
Go lean with protein
Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate
Vary your protein routine–choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts,
and seeds
Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean