Balancing A Meal

Eat food from different food groups, don't limit it to one class even if it's what you love to eat.
 
Don't Ever Forget whole grains. Make about a quarter of any balanced meal consist of grains, with at least half of those grains being whole rather than refined. Grains include food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain.

• Easy examples of foods that fall into the grain category are bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits.
• Whole grains are any grains that use the entire grain kernel, such as whole wheat flour, brown rice, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and bulgur wheat. Look for “whole wheat” on the labels of food you eat, and favor these items over refined wheat products like white bread, white rice, etc.
• Aim for a minimum of 3-4 ounces of grain foods per day, or a recommended amount of 6-8 ounces. 1 ounce could be a ½ cup of pasta, rice, or oatmeal; 1 slice of bread; ½ an English muffin; or 1 cup of whole grain cold cereal.

Have Varieties Of protein sources. Choose proteins from a variety of different food sources for the healthiest level of nutrients. Aim for proteins to take up about a quarter of your plate for any balanced meal.

• Eat both animal proteins and plant proteins. Animal proteins include meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Plant proteins include beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and soy. Choose different plant and animal proteins for each meal or day so that you get a wide variety.
• Aim for about 5-6 ounces of protein foods per day. 1 ounce of protein could look like 1 ounce of lean meat, poultry, or fish, or a ¼ cup cooked beans or tofu.

And the most important one is
Adding low-fat dairy. Drink or eat milk products to receive the calcium and other nutrients present in cow’s milk. Favor low-fat versions to reduce fat intake.

• Aim for about 3 cups of dairy per day. A cup of dairy could mean 1 cup of milk, yogurt, or soymilk; 1 and ½ ounces of natural cheese; or 2 ounces of processed cheese.