Food Guide Pyramid – How to make the pyramid work for you
How to make the food guide pyramid work for you
food pyramid
How many servings are right for me?
The pyramid shows a range of servings for each major food group. The number of servings that are right for you depends on how many calories you need, which in turn depends on your age, sex, size, and how active you are. Almost everyone should have at least the lowest number of servings in the ranges.
The following calorie level suggestion are based on recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and on calorie intakes reported by people in national food consumption surveys.
For adults and teens
1600 calories is about right for many sedentary women and some older adults.
2200 calories is about right for most children, teenage girls, active women, and many sedentary men. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need somewhat more.
2800 calories is about right for teenage boys, many active men, and some very active women.
For young children
It is hard to know how much food children need to grow normally. If you’re unsure, check with your doctor. Preschool children need the same variety of foods as older family members do, but may need less than 1600 calories. For fewer calories they can eat smaller servings. However, it is important that they have the equivalent of cups of milk a day.
For you
Now, take a look at the table below. It tells you how many servings you need for your calorie level. For example, if you are an active woman who needs about 2200 calories a day, 9 servings of breads, cereals, rice, or pasta would be right for you. You’d also want to eat about 6 ounces of meat or alternates per day. Keep total fat (fat in the foods you choose as well as fat used in cooking or added at the table) to about 73 grams per day.
If you are between calorie categories, estimate servings. For example, some less active women may need only 2000 calories to maintain a healthy weight. At that calorie level, 8 servings of breads would be about right.
serving table
1Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers, and young adults to age 24 need 3 servings.
2Meat group amounts are in total ounces.
3See the Pyramid Food Choices Chart for details on how to count total fat.
4See chart of “Added Sugars” for details on how to count teaspoons of added sugars.
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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