How to eat from five food groups in one day

February 1, 2024

Transcript:

There are five food groups we should eat from every day, as shown by the MyPlate graphic.
 
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that adults eat within a certain range from five food groups every day.
 
For fruit, the range is one and a half to two and a half cups every day.
 
When it comes to vegetables, the range is two to four cups every day.
 
For grains, the range is five to ten ounces every day.
 
Protein recommendations are to aim for five to seven ounces every day.
 
For dairy, aim for three cups every day. You can also opt for non-dairy, calcium- rich foods.
 
You may wonder if it's really possible to eat all of these foods in one day. Let's see if we can give it a try by focusing on the mid range amounts for each food group. That would be two cups of fruit, three cups of vegetables, 7 ounces of grains, 6 ounces of protein, and three cups of dairy.
 
Breakfast could be one egg, which is one ounce of protein, both sides of an English muffin which equals two ounces of grain, and one banana, which is one cup of fruit.
 
Let's keep going with a snack, which might be a cup of yogurt topped with a half cup of granola made from rolled oats. That's one cup of dairy, and one ounce of grains.
 
Now for lunch. How about a salad made with two cups of dark leafy greens and a cup of your favorite chopped veggies? Altogether, that's two cups of veggies. Now add one quarter cup of rinsed, canned beans to your salad and you get an ounce of protein. Serve one cup of milk, regular or calcium-fortified plant-based, and count one cup of dairy.
 
Now for another snack. One and a half ounces of cheese, which counts towards one cup of dairy, and ten whole wheat crackers equals two ounces of grain. Add a cup of watermelon and you get another cup of fruit.
 
And finally, dinner. Four ounces of grilled chicken is equivalent to four ounces of protein. Include one cup of fresh or frozen mixed vegetables. This adds another cup of veggies to your day. Plus one cup of rice, which equals two ounces of grains.
 
There, we did it! Of course, you don't have to be perfect every day. In fact, it's best to build healthier food habits gradually with small steps. It's also important that you choose foods that you enjoy, that embrace your cultural traditions, and that match your budget.
 
To learn more about portion recommendations, visit MyPlate.gov.

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