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NUTRITIONDietary Guidelines for AmericansThe Dietary Guidelines are designed to help people choose foods that meet nutrition requirements, promote health, and support active lifestyles.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.1 The Food Guide Pyramid translates the Dietary Guidelines into food groups, listing the number of recommended daily servings from each group.
Note: A
range of servings is given for each food group. The smaller
number indicates the recommended servings for people who
consume about 1,600 calories a day; the larger number indicates
servings for people who consume about 2,800 calories a day.
Source:
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.1
Many children and
adolescents from diverse cultures learn about nutrition in
school by studying the Food Guide Pyramid. It is important
to encourage children, adolescents, and families to maintain
the healthy eating behaviors inherent in their cultures.
Health professionals can make the Food Guide Pyramid relevant
to different cultural groups by helping people place their
traditional foods in the appropriate place in the pyramid.
If traditional foods are at the top of the pyramid (and thus
should be eaten sparingly), the frequency or amount of consumption
may need to be changed, but few foods need to be eliminated
completely.3 |

