Food Guide Pyramid – Fat and Added Sugars
Fat and Added Sugars
food pyramid
Fat and added sugars are concentrated in foods from the Pyramid tip-fats, oils, and sweets. These foods supply calories, but little or no vitamins and minerals. By using these foods sparingly, you can have a diet that supplies needed vitamins and minerals without excess calories.
Some fat or sugar symbols are shown in the food groups. That remind you that some food choices in these food groups can also be high in fat or added sugars in your choices from the food groups, as well as the fats, oils, and sweets from the Pyramid tip.
Fat
In general, foods that come from animals (milk and meat groups) are naturally higher in fat than foods that come plants. But there are many lowfat dairy lean meat choices available, and these foods can be prepared in ways that lower fat.
Fruits, vegetables, and grain products are naturally low in fat. But many popular items are prepared with fat, like french-fried potatoes or crois-sants, making them higher fat choices.
For example:
Added Sugars
These symbols represents sugars added to foods in processing, not the sugars found naturally in fruits and milk. It’s the added sugars that provide calories with few vitamins and minerals
Added sugars in the food groups come from foods such as ice cream, sweetened yogurt, chocolate milk, canned or frozen fruit with heavy syrup, and sweetened bakery products like cakes and cookies.
Fat and Sugar Tips:
- Choose lower fat foods from the food groups most often.
- Go easy on fats and sugars added to foods in cooking-butter, margarine, gravy, salad dressing, sugar, and jelly.
- Choose fewer foods that are high in sugars-candy, sweet desserts, and soft drinks.
source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
o How To Make the Pyramid Work for You
o Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta
o Fruits
o Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
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