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The Pyramid Food Choices Chart
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The following chart lists commonly used foods in each food group and the amount of fat in each. Only a few of the thousands of foods we eat are listed. However, they will give you an idea of foods from each food group that are higher and lower in fat.
The Food Guide Pyramid symbol (*) next to the food items means that food is one of the lowest fat choices you can make in that food group.
You can use the food label to count fat in specific foods. Many labels on food lists the grams of fat in a serving.
How much is a gram of fat?
To help you visualize how much fat is in these foods, keep in mind that 1 teaspoon (1 pat) of butter has 4 grams of fat.
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| For this amount of food... |
count this many... |
| Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group |
| Eat 6 to 11 servings daily |
Servings |
Grams of Fat |
| *Bread, 1 slice |
1 |
1 |
| *Hamburger roll, bagel, english muffin, 1 |
2 |
2 |
| Tortilla, 1 |
1 |
3 |
| *Rice, pasta, cooked, 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Plain crackers, small, 3-4 |
1 |
3 |
| Breakfast cereal, 1 oz. |
1 |
* |
| Pancakes, 4" diameter, 2 |
2 |
3 |
| Croissant, 1 large (2 oz.) |
2 |
12 |
| Doughnut, 1 medium (2 oz.) |
2 |
11 |
| Danish, 1 medium (2 oz.) |
2 |
13 |
| Cake, frosted, 1/16 average |
1 |
13 |
| Cookies, 2 medium |
1 |
4 |
| Pie, fruit, 2-crust, 1/6 8" pie |
2 |
19 |
* Check product label |
| For this amount of food... |
count this many... |
| Vegetable Group |
| Eat 3 to 5 servings daily |
Servings |
Grams of Fat |
| *Vegetables, cooked 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| *Vegetables, leafy, raw 1 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| *Vegetables, nonleafy, raw, chopped 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Potatoes, scalloped, 1/2 cup |
1 |
4 |
| Potato salad, 1/2 cup |
1 |
8 |
| French fries, 10 |
1 |
8 |
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| Fruit Group |
| Eat 2 to 4 servings daily |
Servings |
Grams of Fat |
| *Whole fruit: medium apple, orange, banana |
1 |
Trace |
| *Fruit, raw or canned, 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| *Fruit juice, unsweetened, 3/4 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Avocado, 1/4 whole |
1 |
9 |
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| Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group |
| Eat 2 to 3 servings daily |
| *Skim milk, 1 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| *Nonfat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. |
1 |
Trace |
| Lowfat milk, 2 percent, 1 cup |
1 |
5 |
| Whole milk, 1 cup |
1 |
8 |
| Chocolate milk, 2 percent, 1 cup |
1 |
5 |
| Lowfat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. |
1 |
4 |
| Lowfat yogurt, fruit, 8 oz. |
1 |
3 |
| Natural cheddar cheese, 1-1/2 oz. |
1 |
14 |
| Process cheese, 2 oz. |
1 |
18 |
| Mozzarella, part skim, 1/2 cup |
1 |
7 |
| Ricotta, part skim, 1/2 cup |
1 |
10 |
| Cottage cheese, 4 percent fat, 1/2 cup |
1/4 |
5 |
| Ice cream, 1/2 cup |
1/3 |
7 |
| Ice milk, 1/2 cup |
1/3 |
3 |
| Frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup |
1/2 |
2 |
|
| For this amount of food... |
count this many... |
| Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group |
| Eat 5 to 7 oz. daily |
Servings |
Grams of Fat |
| *Lean meat, poultry, fish, cooked |
3 oz. |
6 |
| Ground beef, lean, cooked |
3 oz. |
16 |
| Chicken, with skin, fried |
3 oz. |
13 |
| Bologna, 2 slices |
1 oz. |
16 |
| Egg, 1 |
1 oz. |
5 |
| *Dry beans and peas, cooked, 1/2 cup |
1 oz. |
Trace |
| Peanut butter, 2 tbsp. |
1 oz. |
16 |
| Nuts, 1/3 cup |
1 oz. |
22 |
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| Fats, Oil, and Sweets |
| Use sparingly |
| Butter, margarine, 1 tsp. |
- |
4 |
| Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. |
- |
11 |
| Salad dressing, 1 tbsp. |
- |
7 |
| Reduced calorie salad dressing, 1 tbsp. |
- |
* |
| Sour cream, 2 tbsp. |
- |
6 |
| Cream cheese, 1 oz. |
- |
10 |
| Sugar, jam, jelly, 1 tsp. |
- |
0 |
| Cola, 12 fl. oz. |
- |
0 |
| Fruit drink, ade, 12 fl. oz. |
- |
0 |
| Chocolate bar, 1 oz. |
- |
9 |
| Sherbet, 1/2 cup |
- |
2 |
| Fruit sorbet, 1/2 cup |
- |
0 |
| Gelatin dessert, 1/2 cup |
- |
0 |
What about alcoholic beverages?
If adults choose to drink, they should have no more that 1 to 2 drinks a day. Alcoholic beverages provide calories, but little or no nutrients. These standard-size drinks each provide about the same amount of alcohol.
| Alcoholic Beverages |
|
Calories |
| Beer, 12 fl. oz. (1 regular can) |
150 |
| Wine, dry, 5 fl. oz. |
100 |
| Liquor, 1-1/2 oz. * |
100 |
| * A mixer such as a soft drink will add more calories. |
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