Here is what the government believes Americans ought to eat every day to stay healthy. These recommendations from the Agriculture Department's Food Guide are featured on the "Food Guide Pyramid."

Breads, dry beans, cereals, rice, and pasta - Six to eleven daily servings. A serving could be one slice of bread, half a bun or bagel, ounce of dry cereal or a half cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta.

Vegetables - Three to five daily servings. A serving should be one cup of raw, leafy greens or a half cup of any other vegetable.

Fruits - Two to four daily servings. A serving should be one medium apple, banana or orange; a half cup of fresh, cooked or canned fruit; or 3/4 cup fruit juice.

Milk, yogurt, cheese - Two to Three daily servings. A serving could be one cup of milk, 8 ounces of yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese or 3 ounces of processed cheese.

Meeting Food Pyramid Requirements for Fruits/Vegetables

1. Add:
   Fruit to Jell-O
   Peas and carrots to rice
   Frozen fruit to low-fat yogurt
   Salsa to canned beans
   Fruit juices to iced tea
   Fruit garnishes to dinner plates
   Fruit to kabobs
   Grilled vegetables to grilled meat
   Frozen spinach to pizza
   Shredded veggies to slaw
   
2. Make cream soup by cooking cauliflower with small amount of water. Puree it in water it was cooked in and add a packet of soup and seasoning mix.
3. Puree vegetables and add to tomato sauces to thicken.
4. Keep a bowl of fruit in your office.
5. Keep apples in your car.
6. Carry portable, non-messy fruits with you.
7. Make cold soups from fruits and vegetables.
8. Buy prepared vegetables in large sizes so must be eaten before they spoil.
9. Grate raw fruits and vegetables into breads/pancakes/salads
10. Add dried fruits to:
    Cold cereal
    Cookies
    Cakes
    Pudding
    
11. Double or triple the amount of vegetables called for in the recipe.
12. Use orange juice as liquid for Jell-O. Make fruit sandwiches - e.g. sliced pineapple and lettuce.
13. Replace jams/jellies with berries and sliced fruits in peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
14. Filling in layer cake - mix with vanilla yogurt instead of buying fruit-flavored yogurt.

"Eating on the Run" Myths

1. You need to have three square meals for optimal nutrition.
2. If meals are not cooked or hot, they are inferior, especially lunch and dinner.
3. Snacking is unhealthy and leads to weight gain.
4. If you eat out often, rely on frozen meals and eat fast food, you are doomed to poor health.
5. Eating healthy takes a lot of time.

Good Food Maximizes Benefits Daily
6 Grains (6 servings daily)
5 Fruits/Vegetables (5 servings daily)
4 Meals/Alternates (4-7 ounces of lean meats/alternates)
3 Bean (3 servings beans/week)
2 Dairy (2 lowfat/nonfat dairy for men. . . . 3 for women)

BALANCE * VARIETY * MODERATION

Three Easy Guidelines to Remember:

1. Countdown to good nutrition (refer to nutrition pyramid)
2. Go no longer than 4-5 hours without eating
3. Choose foods that have no more than 3 grams of fat for 100 calories

100 calories 3 grams fat
200 calories 6 grams fat
300 calories 9 grams fat

Snack Alternatives for You and Your Family

Instead Of. . . . Try:

Candy Peanut butter (no added sugar type, drain oil) on bananas, celery, peanut butter sandwich with fruit only spread, dried fruit

Chips, Crackers Baked corn tortilla chips, popcorn rice cakes, raw vegetables, lowfat crackers, unbuttered popcorn

Cookies Fig bars, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers (chocolate flavored graham crackers), oatmeal with raisins.

Cream-filled Specialty flavored breads, such as banana nut, pumpkin, zucchini,

Snack Cakes poppy seed, apricot or raisin.

Dip Mix half yogurt and half blenderized cottage cheese. Then add favorite dip mix. Another option: use nonfat sour cream with dip mix. Serve with raw vegetables or lowfat crackers.

Doughnuts Variety bagels (raisin, apple, cinnamon, blueberry, or strawberry)

Gelatin Prepare with juice instead of water and add fruit slices. Can use sugar-free gelatin.

Ice Cream Sundae Nonfat frozen yogurt or lowfat ice cream topped with crushed fresh fruit such as berries; juice bars, ice milk bars.

Pie Baked fruit (apple, pear); pudding made with skim or 1% milk and sprinkled with crushed graham crackers; applesauce with crumbled graham crackers

Soda Pop Fruit fizzies (Mix 3 parts 100% juice to 1 part mineral water or diet soda -Diet Sprite or Diet 7-Up). Grape, orange, cherry juices work well.

Save a Bundle and Invest in Your Health

How much do you spend on average for your lunch? $4.00? $5.00? You can really win at saving money and investing in your health by simply packing your lunch.

Tips to help you stay on the road to healthy eating:

• The key to success is to plan ahead. When you go shopping, look for foods that taste good, are convenient, and are low in fat!!!
• Become a label reader. Try to limit your total fat to 3 grams per 100 calories
• You may also be more successful if you pack with a friend. It is a real challenge to stick to eating your bagged healthy lunch while others are munching on Big Macs and Whoppers.
• Find a special treat that you enjoy, just don't over do it.
• Try to replace soda or juice drinks with water.
• Make sandwiches with fat-free mayonnaise or mustard
• Be aware of serving sizes. Some thing may look low in calories and fat, but only if you are eating one tablespoon.
• Replace potato chips with pretzels.
• Try the pre-pealed, pre-cut baby carrots. If you need to use dip, try a fat free salad dressing or make your own fat free dip with a seasoning mix and fat free sour cream or fat free yogurt.
• If you decide to eat a salad, be aware of the amount of fat in dressings. Use a fat-free dressing instead.

• Less rushing at lunchtime to get to a restaurant. You have more time to enjoy your food and can eat more slowly.
• You don't have to stand in line; take a walk instead!
• With all the money and calories you save, you can treat yourself to something special! (Remember a non-food award!)
• If you have children, you can help teach them better habits. You'll be setting a good example.