Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Section 13-2 Making Daily Food Choices 335 can prepare a healthy plate at mealtime. The plate in the MyPlate visual contains four food groups. A circle next to the plate represents the fi fth group, dairy. One of the primary messages of MyPlate is to make half your plate fruits and vegetables. The MyPlate food guidance system emphasizes eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups. Fruits Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, dried, or 100% fruit juice. Whole or cut-up fruits are excellent sources of fi ber and should be chosen more often than juice, which lacks fi ber. The richest sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit. Cantaloupe, strawberries, and kiwifruit are also good sources of vitamin C. Bananas are a good source of potassium. See 13-7. Vegetables The vegetable group includes all forms of vegetables: raw, cooked, canned, frozen, dried, and juices. Fresh vegetables provide good amounts of nutrients and fi ber, but cooking causes the loss of some nutrients. MyPlate recommends selecting vegetables daily from these fi ve subgroups: • dark green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli • red and orange vegetables such as carrots, red peppers, and sweet potatoes • beans and peas such as kidney and soy beans and lentils • starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas, and corn • other vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini, and celery Many Americans need to signifi cantly increase the quantity and variety of vegetables they consume daily and weekly. Grains The grains group includes food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other cereal grains. Common food sources include bread, cereal, and pasta. This food group provides carbohydrates for energy. Products from whole or refi ned grain are important sources of thiamin, niacin, folic acid, and iron. Refi ned grain has parts of the kernel removed during the milling process. Whole-grain foods are also high in fi ber. When choosing grains, MyPlate advises selecting whole-grain foods for at least half of your grains intake. Protein This group includes meat, poultry, fi sh, and eggs, as well as nuts, seeds, and beans and peas. Beans and peas are also found in the vegetable group. The vegetable sources of protein are called meat alternates. 21st Century Skills Cross-cultural skills. Manny appreciates the cultural diversity in his workplace. He is a member of the diversity committee and helps plan an annual potluck lunch. Employees are encouraged to bring in a dish reflecting their cultural heritage. 13-7 Choose whole fruit more often than fruit juice. When you choose a fruit juice, make sure it is 100% juice, not a juice drink with added sweeteners.