Serves: 5

A Guide to the Food Pyramid

> The Food Guide Pyramid is divided into six parts, or food groups. "Grains," the very bottom section of the pyramid, is the foundation. The idea is to eat from the bottom up, with the majority of your food choices coming from the bottom of the pyramid. The top section is "Fats, Oils and Sweets," and most people need to limit their use of these foods. The five lower groups are all important, and you need food from all of them.

> Below the name of each food group are some numbers that tell you how many servings to eat from that group each day. You need more foods from the groups at the bottom, where it is wider, than you do from the top groups.

> At each meal, serve foods from at least three different food groups. Some foods, such as tacos, combine foods from two or more different groups. Do the best you can to estimate the servings from each food group.

> It’s a good idea to plan for snacks just as you plan for meals. Keep a supply of healthful snack foods on hand, such as cut-up vegetables or low-fat crackers and cookies.

From "Betty Crocker's Best of Healthy & Hearty Cooking." Text Copyright 1998 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Best of Healthy & Hearty Cooking Cookbook:
1. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle
2. Meal Planning
3. Shaping up your Favorite Recipes
4. Stocking Up
5. Healthy Eating Out of the House and on the Road
6. A Guide to the Food Pyramid
7. Learning the Nutrition Facts
8. Energize with Exercise
9. The Framework--A Healthy Attitude