The Food Guide Pyramid

The food guide pyramid is meant to be a general guide to the choices of foods everyday.  It was designed by the US Department of Agriculture to promote healthy eating.  It is made up of the five major food groups with a small section of fats and sweets that should be eaten sparingly.

The amount of food and calories you eat depends on your size, age and physical activity.  Active teenage girls require about 2,200 calories and should eat servings in the middle of the range of servings.  Active teenage boys require about 2,800 calories and should eat the highest range of servings.

Fats Oils and Sweets

There are three different types of fats; saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.  Saturated fats are in foods such as meats, dairy products, coconut, palm and palm kernel oil and they raise cholesterol more than unsaturated fats.  Unsaturated fats are found in olive, peanut and canola oils.  Even better are polyunsaturated fats found in safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils.  Saturated fats should be limited to no more than 10% of the daily calories.

Sugar provides a lot of calories and not much nutritional value. 

Dairy Products

Milk, yogurt and cheese products provide protein vitamins and minerals and calcium.  Teenagers should have 2-3 servings a day.  Choose skim or low-fat milk and yogurt and avoid high fat cheese and ice-cream.  Process cheese, mozzarella (even part skim), and whole milk are high in fat and should be avoided.

Meat

This is the protein group.  Meets provide protein and vitamins and minerals.  Teenagers should have 2-3 servings of foods from this group each day.  Fried meets like chicken are high in fat and should be avoided.  Preparing meats in low fat ways, by trimming away fat, and broiling, roasting or boiling are better alt