Daily Allowance for a Healthy Diet

Health and nutrition are popular topics today. It is important to eat the right foods for optimum health. However, with so much nutrition information available it can be difficult to know which foods to eat and how much. The problem is compounded because different people have different dietary needs.

Food Pyramid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid is designed to help people know how to get the recommended daily allowance for each type of food. In 2005, the Pyramid was revised to give people more specific recommendations based on their calorie needs. It also gives recommendations as to exercise. There is also a DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) plan for those with high blood pressure and other indications of heart disease.
Recommendations are given for a variety of foods: fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and beans, milk, oils and discretionary calories.

Standard Recommendations

For a 2,000-calorie diet (used by most healthy people who are not necessarily overweight), the recommended daily allowances are:
Fruit: Two cups daily. One serving size equals a 1/2 cup of fruit, a 1/4 cup of dried fruit or a 1/2 cup of fruit juice.
Vegetables: People should have 2 1/2 cups daily. One serving is a 1/2 cup of cut-up vegetables, one cup of a leafy vegetable or a 1/2 cup of vegetable juice.
Grains: Six 1 oz servings daily. One serving equals one slice of bread, one cup of dry cereal, a 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal.
Meat/beans: People should have 5 1/2 oz. daily. One serving equals 1 oz. of lean meats, poultry or fish, 1 egg; 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 tbsp. of peanut butter or 1/2 oz. of nuts or seeds.
Milk: Three cups daily. One serving equals 1 cup of low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt; 1 oz. of low-fat or fat-free natural cheese or 2 oz. of low-fat or fat-free processed cheese.
Oils: 24 g or 6 tsp. daily. One serving equals 1 tbsp of low-fat mayo; 2 tbsp. of light salad dressing; or 1 tsp. of vegetable oil.
Discretionary calories: 267 calories, which includes other fats and sugar. One serving equals 1 tbsp. of added sugar; oz. of jelly beans or 8 oz. of lemonade.

DASH Recommendations

Those with hypertension or who wish to prevent hypertension can generally follow the same recommendations with the following changes:
Fruit: Two to 2 1/2 servings daily. A fruit-juice serving equals cup.
Vegetables: Two to 2 1/2 servings daily. A vegetable-juice serving equals cup.
Grains: Seven to 8 oz. daily. The dry cereal serving size can range from to 1 cup, depending on the type.
Meat and Beans: Six oz. or less of meat, poultry of fish and four to five weekly servings of nuts, seeds and beans. A serving size of nuts is 1 oz. nuts, oz. seeds or cup of beans.
Milk: Two to three cups daily
Oils: Eight to 12 grams (2 to 3 tsp.).
Discretionary calories: less than 2 tsp. daily or 5 tbsp. weekly. One serving equals 1 tbsp. of jam or jelly.

Warning

These recommendations are only intended as a general guideline. Consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have chronic health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease.

Tips

Eat a variety of foods from each food group to get a variety of nutrients.
Fresh foods are generally preferred to canned or frozen.
Whole fruits and vegetables are generally preferred to juice for the additional fiber.
Baked or steamed foods are preferred to those that are fried.