DIETARY GUIDELINES AND
FOOD GUIDES.
• USDA Food Guide
• MY PYRAMID
• Food Labels
• Nutrients Guidelines for Filipinos
USDA FOOD GUIDE
The Food Guide Pyramid was a recognizable nutrition
tool that was introduced by the USDA in 1992. It was
shaped like a pyramid to suggest that a person should eat
more foods from the bottom of the pyramid and
fewer foods and beverages from the top of the pyramid.
As the MyPlate icon shows, the five food
groups are Fruits, Vegetables, Grains,
Protein Foods, and Dairy. The 2015-2020
Dietary Guidelines for
Americans emphasizes the importance of an
overall healthy eating pattern with all five
groups as key building blocks, plus oils.
(While oils are not a food group, they are
emphasized as part of a healthy eating
pattern because they are a major source of
essential fatty acids and vitamin E). Each
food group includes a variety of foods that
are similar in nutritional makeup, and each
group plays an important role in an overall
healthy eating pattern. Some of the food
groups are broken down further into
subgroups to emphasize foods that are
particularly good sources of certain
vitamins and minerals. For example, the
subgroups within the Grains Group
encourage whole grains, which provide
more fiber, magnesium, and zinc than
refined grains.
Purpose of Food Groups- As nutrition science has progressed
over time, scientists have discovered vitamins, minerals, and
other components that make up our foods, and surely, there are
more yet to be discovered. Food groups simplify dietary
recommendations by focusing on foods instead of nutrients.
Food Group Amounts- The USDA Food Patterns specify targets
for each food group in cup equivalents (for Fruits, Vegetables,
and Dairy) and ounce equivalents (for Grains and Protein
Foods). Each pattern also includes a limited number of calories
(8-19%) that can be used in other ways, such as small amounts
of added sugars and saturated fats. Americans are encouraged to
choose foods in their most nutrient dense forms as often as
possible, to keep added sugars and saturated fat intakes each
below 10 percent of total calorie intake.
MYPYRAMID
MyPyramid, released by the USDA Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion on April 19, 2005, was an update on
the earlier American food guide pyramid. It was used until
June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate replaced it. The
icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper
mix of food groups in one's diet.
THE HEALTHY EATING FOOD
PYRAMID
Balanced diet is a key to stay healthy. Follow the "Healthy
Eating Food Pyramid" guide as you pick your food. Grains
should be taken as the major dietary source. Eat more fruit
and vegetables. Have a moderate amount of meat, fish,
egg, milk and their alternatives. Reduce salt, fat/ oil and
sugar. Trim fat from meat before cooking. Choose low-fat
cooking methods such as steaming, stewing, simmering,
boiling, scalding or cooking with non-stick frying pans.
Also reduce the use of frying and deep-frying. These can
help us achieve balanced diet and promote health.
HOW MUCH OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF
FOOD SHOULD I EAT TO STAY
HEALTHY?
Eat the Right Food
Since different foods have different nutritional values, it is not
possible to obtain all the nutrients we need from a single food.
According to the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid, we have to eat a
variety of foods among all food groups as well as within each group in
order to get different nutrients and meet our daily needs.
Eat the Right Amount
Neither eating too much nor too little is good for our health. Every
day, we need a specific amount of nutrients to maintain optimal health.
If we do not eat enough, under-nutrition and symptoms of deficiency
are likely to develop; while over-nutrition and obesity can be resulted
when we consume an excessive amount of any type of food.
Therefore, we have to eat right amount of food to stay healthy.
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid
Eat Most - Grains
Eat More - Vegetables and fruits
Eat Moderately - Meat, fish, egg and alternatives (including dry beans) and milk and
alternatives
Eat Less - Fat/ oil, salt and sugar
Drink adequate amount of fluid (including water, tea, clear soup, etc) every day
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for Children (aged 2 to 5)
Grains: 1.5 - 3 bowls
Vegetables: at least 1.5 servings
Fruits: at least 1 serving
Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 1.5 - 3 taels
Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
Fluid: 4 - 5 glasses
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for Children (aged 6 to 11)
Grains: 3 - 4 bowls
Vegetables: at least 2 servings
Fruits: at least 2 servings
Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 3 - 5 taels
Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for Teenagers (aged 12 to 17)
Grains: 4 - 6 bowls
Vegetables: at least 3 servings
Fruits: at least 2 servings
Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 4 - 6 taels
Milk and alternatives: 2 servings
Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for Adults
Grains: 3 - 8 bowls
Vegetables: at least 3 servings
Fruits: at least 2 servings
Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 5 - 8 taels
Milk and alternatives: 1 - 2 servings
Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
Healthy Eating Food Pyramid for Elderly
Grains: 3 - 5 bowls
Vegetables: at least 3 servings
Fruits: at least 2 servings
Meat, fish, egg and alternatives: 5 - 6 taels
Milk and alternatives: 1 - 2 servings
Fat/oil, salt and sugar: eat the least
Fluid: 6 - 8 glasses
Remarks
1 tael is equivalent to about 40 grams (raw meat).
The above recommendations are intended for healthy individuals only. Those with chronic diseases and
specific nutritional needs should consult their family doctors and dietitians for individualised dietary
recommendations.
Food Exchange List:
1 bowl of grains is equivalent to:
Cooked rice, 1 bowl
Cooked noodles, 11⁄4 bowls
Bread, 2 slices
1 serving of vegetables is equivalent to:
Cooked vegetables, 1⁄2 bowl
Raw vegetables, 1 bowl
1 serving of fruit is equivalent to:
Medium-sized apple, 1 piece
Kiwi, 2 pieces
Fruit cuts, 1⁄2 bowl
1 tael of meat is equivalent to:
Cooked meat, 4-5 slices
Egg, 1 piece
Silky tofu, 1 piece
1 serving of milk and alternatives is equivalent to:
Low-fat milk, 1 cup (240ml)
Low-fat cheese, 2 slices
Low-fat plain yogurt, 1 pot (150ml)
FOOD EXCHANGE LIST
The Exchange Lists are the basis of a meal planning
system designed by a committee of the American
Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic
Association. The Exchange Lists. The reason for
dividing food into six different groups is that foods vary
in their carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calorie content.
List 1 - Cereal Exchange
30 gm provide: Carbohydrate 20 gm, Protein 2 gm
Cereals Household Measures Wt/Vol. Calories
Rice 30 gms uncooked 100
Wheat flour 30 gms uncooked 100
Dalia 1/2 katori cooked 30 gms uncooked 100
Sago 30 gms uncooked 100
White flour 30 gms uncooked 100
Bread 2 slices 40 gms 100
List 2 - Fat Exchange
50 gm Calories; Fat 5.5 gm
Fats Household Wt.[gm]. Calories
Measures
Butter 1 1/2 teaspoon 7.5 50
Ghee 1 teaspoon 5.5 50
Hydrogenated fat 1 teaspoon 5.5 50
[Vanaspati]
Oil [Coconut, Mustard 1 teaspoon 5.5 50
Sunflower, Corn,
Groundnut, Cotton seed,
Til, Palm]
Cashewnuts 10 50
Groundnuts, roasted 10 50
Walnuts 7.5 50
Pistachio 7.5 50
Almonds
List 3 - Milk & Milk Products
50 Calories; Protein 2.5 gm
Milk & Milk Products Household Measures Wt./Vol. Calories
Curd 2/3 glass 105 gm 50
Butter Milk 3 glasses 375 ml 50
Cheese 1 ice cube 15 gm 50
Milk [Buffalo] 1/3 glass 45 ml 50
Milk [Cow] 2/3 glass 90 ml 50
Milk, Skimmed* 1 glass 130 ml 50
Milk, Skimmed, powder* 15 gm 50
Coffee Nescafe+75 ml milk 50
[without sugar]
Tea + 75 ml milk 50
Khoya 15 gm 50
1 medium glass 150 ml
*provides 5 gm protein
List 4 - Vegetable Exchange
50 Calories; Carbohydrate 10 gm
Vegetables Household Measures Wt. (gm) Calories
Beetroot [Chukander] 75 50
Carrot 1-2 No. 105 50
Colocasia [arbi] 45 50
Onion [big] 1 No. 90 50
Onion [small] 2 No. 75 50
Potato 1/2 No. 45 50
Sweet potato 30 50
Tapioca 30 50
Yam [Zimikand] 45 50
Broad beans 90 50
Cluster beans 90 50
Double beans 50 50
Jack, Tender 105 50
Jackfruit seeds 30 50
Leeks 60 50
Peas 45 50
Singhara 45 50
Sambar 1/4 katori 35 ml 50
Cooked vegetable 1/2 katori 50
1 katori: volume 150 ml
List 5 - Fruit Exchange
50 Calories; Carbohydrate 10 gm
Fruits Size/No. Wt. (ml) Calories
Apple 1 small 75 50
Amla 20 medium 90 50
Banana 1/4 medium 30 50
Cashew fruit 2 medium 90 50
Custard apple 1/4 50 50
Dates 3 30 50
Figs 6 medium 135 50
Grapes 20 105 50
Grape fruit 1/2 big 150 50
Jack fruit 3 medium pieces 60 50
Mango 1 small 90 50
Melon 1/4 medium 270 50
Orange 1 small 90 50
Lemon 1 medium 90 50
Papaya 2 medium 120 50
Peach 1 medium 135 50
Pear 1 medium 90 50
Plums 4 medium 120 50
Pineapple 1 1/2 slices (round) 90 50
Strawberry 40 105 50
Sweetlime 1 medium 150 50
Tomato 4 medium 240 50
Water melon 1/4 small 175 50
List 7 - Flesh Food Exchange
70 Calories; Protein 10 gm
Flesh Foods Household Wt. (gm) Calories
Measures
Egg Hen 2 No. 100
Fish 1 piece 60 70
Liver, sheep 60 70
Mutton, muscle 3 piece 60 100
Pork 1 slice 60 70
Prawn 5-7 pieces 60 70
Chicken 1 breast 60 70
Crab 120 gm 70
Beef 1 slice 60 70
List 8 - Vegetable Exchange
These vegetables may be used as desired.
Carbohydrates and calories are negligible
Leafy Vegetables Other Vegetables
Bitter gourd [Karela] Curry leaves Brinjal Onion stalks
Amaranth Fenugreek Cauliflower Pumpkin
leaves
Brussels sprouts Mint Drumstic Tinda
Cabbage Spinach Frenchbeans Tomato, Green
Coriander leaves Mango, green
Fast Food*
Household Measures Vol. Calories
Soft drink 1 bottle 300 ml 120-135
Potato wafers 50 gm 430
Samosa 1 40 gm 130
Veg. cutlet 1 100 gm 140
Vada 1 150
Drinks*
Household Vol. Calories
Measures
Orange juice 1 big glass 200 ml. 30
Tomato juice 1 big glass 200 ml 30
Apple juice 1 big glass 200 ml 100
Grape juice 1 big glass 200 ml 80
Mango juice 1 big glass 200 ml 150
Desserts*
Household Wt/vol. Calories
Measures
Custard 150 gm 360
Fruit salad 150 gm 150
Fruit salad with cream 150 gm 300
Icecream 150 gm 380
Carrot halwa 1 medium katori 100 gm 600
Badami halwa 100 gm 570
Cakes & Pastries*
Wt/vol. Calories
Cake plain 50 gm 150
Chocolate cake 50 gm 250
Sponge cake 50 gm 150
Pastry 50 gm 250-400
Beverages**
Vol. Calories
Beer 150 ml 65
Wine dry 30 ml 30
Wine dessert 30 ml 40
Whisky, brnady, gin, rum 30 ml 65
Vodka 30 ml 65
Ginger ale 30 ml 9
Sweets*
Household Wt/vol. Calories
Measures
Coconut burfi 25 gm 110
Gulabjamun 25 gm 200
Laddo 30 gm 160
Rasgulla 150 gm 140
Jam 2 tablespoon 80
Honey 2 tablespoon 48
FOOD LABELS
Labels give you information that can help you decide what to choose as part of an
overall healthy eating plan. For example, it may be OK to eat a sugary cereal if you
make up for it by not eating much sugary stuff for the rest of the day. Checking the
labels on foods can alert you when a food is high in something like sugar so you can be
prepared to make tradeoffs.
Food labels provide more than just nutrition facts, though. They also tell you what's in a
packaged food (i.e., the ingredients). Some food labels also state which country the
food came from, whether the food is organic, and certain health claims.
So who decides what information goes on a food label? In the United States, it's the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
These agencies require that all food labels show the same nutrition and health
information. This allows consumers to compare different foods and make the choices
that are right for them.
The FDA and USDA regulate any health claims that companies make on their food
labels. When a food says "light" ("lite") or "low fat" on the label, it must meet strict
government definitions in order to make that claim. Foods that are labeled "USDA
organic" are required to have at least 95% organic ingredients.
NUTRIENT GUIDELINES FOR FILIPINOS
The Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) is a set
of dietary guidelines based on the eating pattern,
lifestyle, and health status of Filipinos. The NGF
contains all the nutrition messages to healthy living for
all age groups from infants to adults, pregnant and
lactating women, and the elderly.
