Food group
A food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups and recommend daily servings of each group for a healthy diet.
Common food groups
- Dairy, also called milk products and sometimes categorized with milk alternatives or meat, is typically a smaller category in nutrition guides.[1][2][3] Examples of dairy products include milk, yogurt and cheese. Though they are also dairy products, ice cream is typically categorized with sweets and butter is typically classified with fats and oils in nutrition guides.
- Fats and oils, sometimes categorized with sweets, is typically a very small category in nutrition guides, if present at all, and is sometimes listed apart from other food groups.[1][2] Examples include cooking oil, butter, margarine and shortening.
- Fruit, sometimes categorized with vegetables, is typically a medium-sized category in nutrition guides, though occasionally a small one.[1][2][3][4] Examples include apples, oranges, bananas, berries and melons.
- Grains, also called cereals and sometimes inclusive of potatoes and other starches, is often the largest category in nutrition guides.[1][2][3] Examples include wheat, rice, oats, barley, bread and pasta.
- Meat, sometimes labeled protein and occasionally inclusive of legumes, eggs, meat analogues and/or dairy, is typically a medium- to smaller-sized category in nutrition guides.[1][2][3] Examples include chicken, fish, turkey, pork and beef.
- Sweets, also called sugary foods and sometimes categorized with fats and oils, is typically a very small category in nutrition guides, if present at all, and is sometimes listed apart from other food groups.[1][2] Examples include candy, soft drinks, cake, pie and ice cream.
- Vegetables, sometimes categorized with fruit and occasionally inclusive of legumes, is typically a large category second only to grains, or sometimes equal to grains, in nutrition guides.[1][2][3] Examples include spinach, carrots, onions, peppers, and broccoli.
- Water is treated in very different ways by different food guides. Some exclude the category,[3] others list it separately from other food groups,[1] and yet others make it the center[5] or foundation[6] of the guide. Water is sometimes categorized with tea, fruit juice, vegetable juice and even soup,[7] and is typically recommended in plentiful amounts.
Uncommon food groups
- Alcohol is listed apart from other food groups and recommended only for certain people in moderation by Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid and the University of Michigan's Healing Foods Pyramid,[8][6] while Italy's food pyramid includes a half-serving of wine and beer.[9]
- Multivitamins are listed apart from other food groups by Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating - Enjoy a Variety of Foods Every Day". Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The eatwell plate". National Health Service. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "USDA's MyPlate". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Food Guide". Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Eine runde Sache: Der neue DGE-Ernährungskreis". Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (in German). Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Healing Foods Pyramid™ 2010". University of Michigan Health System. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Recommendations for healthy, tasty eating and drinking for adults" (PDF). Swiss Society for Nutrition. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Healthy Eating Pyramid". Harvard School of Public Health. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Piramide Alimentare Italiana". Istituto di Scienza dell'Alimentazione (in Italian). Università di Roma. Retrieved 11 June 2011.