Self-monitoring is a behavior tool that can help you manage your weight and gain health. It is especially handy when making changes to your diet and ensuring you eat a healthy balance of nutrient-rich foods.
There are many choices you can make in your diet. With so many foods available to choose from, it’s important to make the right choices from each food group.
Four Main Food Groups
The four main food groups in a balanced diet are:
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Meats and Proteins
- Dairy
- Grains
In part 1 of this two-part blog series, we’ll talk about fruits, vegetables, meats and proteins. In part 2, we’ll go over dairy products and grains.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits are low in calories, high in fiber and packed with essential nutrients. They can also be considered a healthy source of carbohydrates and are sweetened naturally as opposed to being filled with added sugar.
- Nutrition recommendations include two cups of fruit per day.
- Fruit can be fresh, frozen, canned or juiced.
Vegetables are similar to fruits in that they offer tons of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients while having few calories. In addition to being another source of carbohydrates, veggies also offer a little bit of protein.
- Nutrition recommendations include three cups of vegetables per day.
- Vegetables can be fresh, frozen, canned or juiced.
Quick Tips for Fruits:
- When choosing canned fruit, opt for those packed in their own fruit juice
- When choosing applesauce, get the unsweetened kind. It’s still sweet!
- Calories add up quickly in juice. A healthy serving is half a cup, so try to limit your consumption to the recommended serving size and then switch to fresh fruit.
- Top your cereal with fresh berries
- Have a piece of fresh fruit for your afternoon snack
- Slice bananas on your peanut butter sandwich
- Blend fruit for a tasty smoothie
Quick Tips for Veggies:
- Rinse canned veggies to reduce sodium content
- Add fresh peppers and onions to your scrambled eggs
- Add a side salad to lunch or dinner
- Chop up veggies and serve with a light dip or hummus
Meats and Proteins
Most people don’t struggle to fit meats and proteins into their diet because these are very filling (satisfying) foods. However, if you don’t eat meat, meeting your protein recommendations might be more of a challenge.
Healthy proteins include lean meats, beans, legumes, eggs, nuts and yogurt. Some good sources of protein are:
- Walnuts
- Chicken breast
- Lean ground beef
- Fish (like salmon or tuna)
- Beans (like navy or kidney)
The most challenging part about eating meat is probably finding sources that are high in protein but low in fat. That’s why it’s best to choose skinless chicken, lean ground beef and small amounts of nuts. Many beans are also good for this. A general rule of thumb for eating healthy portions is to make your protein portion size about the palm of your hand.
Want more information about food science and nutrition? Click Here to check out the Obesity Action Coalition’s Living Well Guide which is filled with healthy living tips. We’ll cover Part 2 about dairy and grains in the next post on the Your Weight Matters Blog.
FAQs
Enjoy food from each of the five food groups and you'll be getting a fantastic mix of the best nutrients and vitamins.
- 1 Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates give you energy, calcium and B vitamins. ...
- 2 Protein. ...
- 3 Dairy products. ...
- 4 Fruit and vegetables.
A balanced diet contains all of the essential elements that the human body needs. Carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber, and water are all essential components in a well-balanced diet. A nutritious, well-balanced diet lowers the risk of disease and enhances general health.
How do you balance food groups? ›
Food groups in your diet
- eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see 5 A Day)
- base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta.
- have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein.
Topics about food groups
There are 4 main food groups to eat from every day to get the nutrients you need for your physical and mental health. These are vegetables and fruit, grain foods, milk and milk products, and protein foods.
When choosing a healthy diet, __________ refers to choosing foods from different food groups and choosing different foods from within each food group.? ›
Eating a varied, well-balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups daily, in the recommended amounts. Because different foods provide different types and amounts of key nutrients, it is important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group.
What are the four types of balanced diets? ›
The 5 food groups are:
- vegetables and legumes (beans)
- fruit.
- grains and cereals.
- lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, seeds.
- milk, cheese, yoghurt or alternatives.
A balanced diet is one that fulfills all of a person's nutritional needs. Humans need a certain amount of calories and nutrients to stay healthy. A balanced diet provides all the nutrients a person requires, without going over the recommended daily calorie intake.
What is balanced food chart? ›
A balanced diet chart is a structured plan outlining the optimal intake of various nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. It ensures a well-rounded selection of foods to meet nutritional needs, promote health, and reduce the risk of diseases, supporting overall well-being.
Does banana give instant energy? ›
A banana gives instant energy to your body.
It will give your body an instant dose of energy. A banana has about 105 calories and helps replenish the low levels of glucose in the blood. It makes for a healthy and cheap snack when you do not have much time to cook anything.
What are the 4 parts of food? ›
The four main food groups in a balanced diet are:
- Fruits and Vegetables.
- Meats and Proteins.
- Dairy.
- Grains.
Here, you can learn all about the different food groups, and how much of each group should make up our balanced diet. All food groups - the right amount of carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, protein, dairy (alternatives) and fat - are all part of a balanced diet, each having nutritional value.
What are the 4 basic food groups chart? ›
They are used to group food according to the nutrients they contribute to the body: Group 1: Cereals and derivatives Group 2: Fruits and vegetables Group 3: Dairy and derivatives Group 4: Meat, eggs and fish Group 5: Oils and sweets.
How to eat balanced? ›
8 tips for healthy eating
- Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates. ...
- Eat lots of fruit and veg. ...
- Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish. ...
- Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. ...
- Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults. ...
- Get active and be a healthy weight. ...
- Do not get thirsty. ...
- Do not skip breakfast.
Eating well helps you maintain a healthy body weight and prevent health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease. It's also key to good mental wellbeing. The 4 main food groups are vegetables and fruits, grain foods, milk and milk products, and proteins.
What are the 4 basic food groups in Atlantis? ›
Cookie : I got your four basic food groups! Beans, bacon, whisky and lard.
What are the four food groups and their recommended daily servings? ›
1 Canada's Food Guide
| Food | Female | Male |
|---|
| Vegetables and Fruit | 7-8 servings | 8-10 servings |
| Grain Products | 6-7 servings | 8 servings |
| Milk and Alternatives | 2 servings | 2 servings |
| Meat and Alternatives | 2 servings | 3 servings |
Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of the key nutrients of that food group. For example, the key nutrients of the milk, yogurt, cheese and alternatives food group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.
