Making Healthy Food Choices

The USDA MyPyramid online tool can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. Visit the MyPyramid website.

Depending on your age, gender and amount of physical activity, MyPyramid makes a recommendation about amounts from each of the different food groups. Typically, a healthy diet is high in grains, fruits and vegetables.

Understanding serving size is helpful for a balanced diet:

Breads, Cereals, Rice & Pasta: One serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or cereal; or 1 ounce of cold cereal. Choose whole-wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal from this group. 1 serving size of bread = plastic CD case; 2 servings of cooked
brown rice = size of a tennis ball

Vegetables: One serving equals 1/2 cup of raw or cooked; 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables. 1 serving size of broccoli = a light bulb; 1 serving of potato = a computer mouse

Fruits: One serving equals 1 piece of fruit or a melon wedge; 3/4 cup of juice; 1/2 cup of canned fruit; or 1/4 cup of dried fruit. 1 serving size of fruit = a tennis ball.

Milk, Yogurt & Cheese: One serving equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt; or 1.5 to 2 ounces of cheese. Choose low-fat options from this group. 1 serving size of cheese = 1 ping-pong ball

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts: One serving equals 1.5 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish; 1 to 1.5 cups of cooked beans; 2 eggs; or 4 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 serving size of chicken and/or fish = 1 deck of cards or palm of a woman’s hand; 1 serving of meatball = a ping-pong ball; 1 serving of cooked meat (i.e., a burger) = a hockey puck

Fats, Oils & Sugar: This includes alcoholic beverages, and high fat and/or sugar in foods, such as cheese, ice cream and French fries. 1 serving size of peanut butter = a ping-pong ball; 1 serving of white wine = 1 small wine glass