Are your meals at the end of the month as good as they are at the beginning? Or do your food dollars run out before the month is over? Learning to plan your menus and shop only for what you need will help you have good food throughout the month. You will also save both money and time!
What You Will Learn!
- The six types of nutrients in foods and why they are important for your body.
- The six groups in the MyPyramid and why you should eat foods from each one.
- Tips to help you plan a healthy meal.
A sample seven-day menu also has been included, along with a shopping list, recipes for most foods on the menu and a list of common serving sizes for different foods.
What is Food? Why Do We Need It?
Food is made of six important nutrients:
Carbohydrate, protein and fat -- called macronutrients. (Macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts.)
Vitamins & minerals -- called micronutrients. (Micronutrients are nutrients needed in smaller amounts.)
Water
Carbohydrates give you energy and are especially important for fueling your brain. They are found in most types of foods, except meats and pure fats (butter, oil). About half of the food you eat should come from foods that contain carbohydrates.
Protein is found mostly in meats and dairy products. Protein is used to build your body parts. Cells, organs, tissues and muscles – all are made with protein. Most Americans have no problem getting their daily protein requirement, which is about 15 %-20 % of your daily diet.
Fats are not all bad! You need some fat to keep your body functioning. Fat helps your body use vitamins and minerals (the micronutrients) and provides you with extra energy. However, if a person does not use the extra energy, the body can store it as fat. You should eat fat in moderation; 30% or less of your total calories each day should come from fat. Many foods contain fat, so read the Nutrition Facts labels to see what you're getting!
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Vitamins and minerals (the micronutrients) are found in all types of foods. Fruits and vegetables are very good sources. Vitamins and minerals also help keep your body functioning. Some important vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. Important minerals include calcium, iron and potassium. Sodium is a mineral you should eat in moderation – not too much each day! This is another nutrient to read about on the Nutrition Facts label because sodium is found in many different foods, especially processed meat, canned foods (including vegetables and soups) and frozen dinners. |
Water is a drink, but it is also part of most foods. Your body needs water to live, so it is considered a nutrient. Fruit is a good example of a food that has lots of water in it. Water is what makes the fruit so juicy. The juicier a food is, the more water it contains.
Menu Planning with MyPyramid
Remember when everyone used the four food groups to plan a balanced diet? Now we use MyPyramid to help people follow a balanced diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
MyPyramid is a tool to help us get all the nutrients we need for good health. You can use the pyramid as a basis for planning healthy meals. Use more of the whole, unrefined foods in each group to plan your meals.
The pyramid is divided into six groups:
1. Grains Group
2. Vegetable Group
3. Fruit Group
4. Milk Group
5. Meat and Beans Group
6. Oils
The amount of food you will need from each group depends on your age, sex, and your level of physical activity you do each day.
Let's review each group.
Grains Group. This is the largest section of the pyramid -- so these foods should make up the largest part of your daily diet. It is suggested that you should eat at least 3 ounces of bread and grain products each day. At least 1/2 of all the grains you eat should be whole grains. Examples of grain products are bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits.
So what counts as an ounce? In general,
- 1 slice of bread
- 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal
- 1/2 cup cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal
If you were to eat a sandwich for lunch, you would be eating 2 ounces from the grain group.
The Vegetable Group. Vegetables are the next largest group of MyPyramid. Vegetables contain the nutrients that help prevent chronic diseases and keep you healthy. In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 100% vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens can be considered as 1 cup from the vegetable group. It's important to eat a variety of vegetables and include dark green and orange veggies in your meals throughout the week. To save money and still have a healthy, satisfying meal, include dry beans and peas in your meal planning. Purchasing seasonal vegetables (and fruits) from the produce market can be a way to stretch your food dollars.
Here are some examples of what counts as a cup of vegetables:
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup cooked spinach, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, or kale or 2 cups raw
- 2 cups lettuce
- 1 large baked sweet potato (2 1/4" or more in diameter)
- 1 cup cooked dry beans and peas
- 1 cup yellow or white corn
- 1 large raw whole tomato (3" in diameter)
- 1 cup tomato juice
So if you were to eat 1/2 cup of red beans (1/2 cup) with rice, 1/2 cup steamed broccoli (1/2 cup), a salad made of 1 cup of lettuce (equal to 1/2 cup), and 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes (1/2 cup), you would have eaten 2 cups total of vegetables in one meal!
Fruit Group. Fruits are in a separate category from vegetables in MyPyramid, and they make up the third largest group. Like vegetables, fruit contains the nutrients and fiber you need to stay healthy. Be sure to eat a variety of fruits each day, and go easy on fruit juices since they are less filling and contain less fiber than the whole fruit. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits and 100% fruit juices are all included in the fruit group. Generally, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group.
Some examples of 1 cup of fruit are:
- 1/2 large (3 1/4" in diameter) or 1 small (2 1/2" in diameter) apple
- 1 cup diced or 2 medium wedges (1/4 of a medium melon) canteloupe
- 1 cup or 32 seedless grapes
- 2 halves of canned peaches
- 1 large (8" to 9" long) banana
Milk Group. Milk and dairy foods are important because they provide calcium, protein and other nutrients. Foods such as milk, ice cream, yogurt and cheese are included in this group. Because some milk and dairy foods tend to be high in fat, you should try to eat the lower-fat varieties, such as 1% or skim milk, non-fat or low-fat yogurt and low-fat or fat free cheese. Adults should get 3 cups or its equivalent each day. Children between the ages of 2 to 8 years old need 2 cups of milk or milk products per day. Most people don't eat enough foods from the milk group. A diet rich in milk and milk products can reduce the risk of osteoporosis (bone-thinning disease) and helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Foods from the milk group provide calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein that are essential for good health. If you're pregnant or nursing, be sure to get three or more cups of this group daily. An equivalent from this group is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (i.e., cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan) or 2 ounces of processed cheese (American).
What counts as a cup?
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup pudding made with milk (choose fat-free or low-fat milk)
- 1 1/2 cups ice cream (choose fat-free or low-fat ice cream)
Meat and Beans Group. Foods in this category are not all meat and beans! Nuts and seeds, eggs and peanut butter are called meat alternates because they contain high amounts of protein like meats do. One ounce of beef, pork, poultry, or fish, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans and peas, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds is considered to be a 1-ounce equivalent from the meat and beans group. Foods from this group provide protein, vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. These vitamins and minerals are necessary for proper function of enzymes and hormones, muscle development and function, red blood cell development, to protect our cells from damage, and helps the immune system function properly.
Other meat alternatives equivalent to 1 ounce of meat include:
- 1/4 cup of lentils or split peas
- 2 tablespoons hummus
- 1/4 cup roasted soybeans
- 1/4 cup baked or refried beans
This is also a food group that contains saturated fat and cholesterol, so try to find lower-fat choices, such as the leanest cuts of beef (round steak, roasts, top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts) and pork (pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham), beans and peas, skinless chicken and turkey, or fish (including water-packed tuna fish).
Oils Group. Oils make up the smallest part of the pyramid. Soft (tub or squeeze) margarine, vegetable oils, mayonnaise and salad dressings all fall into this group. Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. They include butter, shortening, animal fat, and stick margarine. You should also remember that there is fat, oil and/or sugar in processed or prepackaged foods (such as muffins and cookies). Pay attention to what kinds of foods you eat and keep track of the amount of these nutrients that you are consuming.
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The main idea of MyPyramid is balance, variety and moderation. Eat a balanced diet made up of a variety of foods from all pyramid groups, but remember to eat in moderation – not too much of any one group. When planning meals for your family, keep MyPyramid in mind. Try to plan meals that include each of the food groups but contain only moderate amounts of fats and sweets. |
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