University of Georgia Athletics
The New Food Guide Pyramid Guidelines
May 08, 2007 | General
The New Food Guide Pyramid Guidelines:
- Make half of your grain intake from whole grain sources
- Eat more dark-green veggies like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens
- Eat more orange veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes
- Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils
- Eat a variety of fruit
- Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit
- Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt, and other milk products
- If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources such as fortified foods and beverages. i.e calcium fortified OJ
- Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry
- Bake, broil and grill your meats and veggies
- Vary your protein routine - choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds
What's a Serving?
For each group, the example provided is equal to one serving:
Grains - 1 oz or 1 slice of bread (preferably whole grain), about 1 cup of ready to eat cereal (made with whole grains of course), 1/2 cup cooked grains (brown rice, pasta, oatmeal, etc.), 3-4 crackers, 1 small muffin, 1 six inch tortilla.
Vegetables - 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables (broccoli, carrots, peas, etc.), 2 cups raw, leafy vegetables (spinach, Romaine, kale, chard, etc.), 1 cup vegetable juice.
Fruits - 1 whole piece of fruit, 1/2 cup berries, 1 melon wedge, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup cooked or canned fruit, 3/4 cup real fruit juice.
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Meat Substitutes - In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the meat and beans group.
Dairy & Dairy Substitutes - 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1-2 ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese can be considered as 1 cup from the milk group.
Discover more great tips
Discover more great tips, nutrient facts and detailed serving sizes for various foods of each food group at www.mypyramid.gov
For best athletic results, an athlete's training diet should be composed of 50-60% carbohydrates, 15-20% proteins and 25-30% fat. A great tool that can help athlete's achieve the right proportion of carbs, protein and fat is the USDA's New Food Guide Pyramid. The USDA's Food Guide Pyramid was developed years ago as a visual tool for "guiding" us into making healthier food choices. And if used correctly, it can do exactly that, even for athletes! Now there is a New Food Guide Pyramid by the USDA. The New Food Guide Pyramid addresses the concept that age, gender, and physical activity level all play into what and how much a person should eat!! Now the Food Guide Pyramid can be more individualized to meet your nutrition needs and help guide you in making healthier choices.
The New Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes variety by 6 color bands representing the 5 food groups and the oils: Orange = grains; green = veggies; red = fruits; yellow = oils; blue = dairy; and purple = meat and beans.
The different widths of the color bands for each food group suggests how much food proportionally a person should chose from each group.
Each food group and color band narrows from the bottom of the pyramid to the top in order to represent moderation. The wider base stands for foods with little or no solid fats or added sugars. These should be selected more often. The narrower top area stands for foods containing more added sugars and solid fats. The more active you are, the more of these foods you can fit into your diet.
Go to www.mypyramid.gov and enter in your age, sex, and physical activity level to find out the calorie level and the number of servings from each food group that is right for you. NOTE***As a high-level athlete, you may find that you need even more calories than is suggested by the New Food Guide Pyramid - to learn your estimated calorie needs as an athlete contact UGA's Sports Nutritionist and registered dietitian, Ruth Gildea at rgildea@sports.uga.edu.
