Food Groups

The food pyramid breaks up essential foods into the following: a base of bread, grain, cereal and pasta; a second layer of fruits and vegetables; then beans, eggs, lean meat and fish; then dairy products; and finally fats and sweets. To achieve the best health possible, you need to maintain an extremely well balanced diet. Even if bread and various grains are considered part of a vital food group, that absolutely does not mean that you can simply eat bread or cereal every day. Each food group possesses characteristics necessary for complete health, each providing vital nutrients that the other food groups do not necessarily have. And one of the most important parts to consider about the food groups is that you must consistently include foods from each food group. You can’t decide to eat healthy one day, eat fried foods the next few days, and then eat an apple on the last day and consider that a well-balanced diet!

The food pyramid makes great suggestions on portions and serving sizes for each food group, but every body is different. Age, sex, lifestyle and other factors play a huge part in determining our portion sizes and number of daily servings. Abiding by these suggested servings helps us monitor and limit the amount of fat, sugar and calories we take in as well as make sure we’re getting the proper nutrients and vitamins for healthy living. And remember, how you prepare foods from the different food groups makes a huge difference as well.

Related Information

Food Guide
You can find a food guide online that will help you achieve the best health and wellness possible.

Food Pyramid
A food pyramid should be used as a basic starting point, and then refined to address your age, sex, current health status and more.