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Choose a diet
with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits
Grain products, vegetables, and fruits are
key parts of a varied diet. They are emphasized in this guideline because they
provide vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates (starch and dietary fiber),
and other substances that are important for good health. They are also generally
low in fat, depending on how they are prepared and what is added to them at the
table. Most Americans of all ages eat fewer than the recommended number of
servings of grain products, vegetables, and fruits, even though consumption of
these foods is associated with a substantially lower risk for many chronic
diseases, including certain types of cancer.
Most of the calories in your diet should
come from grain products, vegetables, and fruits
These include grain products high in
complex carbohydrates -- breads, cereals, pasta, rice -- found at the base of
the Food Guide Pyramid, as well as vegetables such as potatoes and corn. Dry
beans (like pinto, navy, kidney, and black beans) are included in the meat and
beans group of the Pyramid, but they can count as servings of vegetables
instead of meat alternatives.
Plant foods provide fiber
Fiber is found only in plant foods like
whole-grain breads and cereals, beans and peas, and other vegetables and
fruits. Because there are different types of fiber in foods, choose a variety
of foods daily. Eating a variety of fiber-containing plant foods is important
for proper bowel function, can reduce symptoms of chronic constipation,
diverticular disease, and hemorrhoids, and may lower the risk for heart
disease and some cancers. However, some of the health benefits associated with
a high-fiber diet may come from other components present in these foods, not
just from fiber itself. For this reason, fiber is best obtained from foods
rather than supplements.
Plant foods provide a variety of vitamins
and minerals essential for health
Most fruits
and vegetables are naturally low in fat and provide many essential nutrients
and other food components important for health. These foods are excellent
sources of vitamin C, vitamin B6, carotenoids, including those which form
vitamin A, and folate. The antioxidant nutrients found in plant foods (e.g.,
vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin E, and certain minerals) are presently of
great interest to scientists and the public because of their potentially
beneficial role in reducing the risk for cancer and certain other chronic
diseases. Scientists are also trying to determine if other substances in plant
foods protect against cancer.
Folate, also called
folic acid, is a B vitamin that, among its many functions, reduces the risk of
a serious type of birth defect. Minerals such as potassium, found in a wide
variety of vegetables and fruits, and calcium, found in certain vegetables,
may help reduce the risk for high blood pressure.
The availability of fresh fruits and
vegetables varies by season and region of the country, but frozen and canned
fruits and vegetables ensure a plentiful supply of these healthful foods
throughout the year. Read the Nutrition Facts Label to help choose foods that
are rich in carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients, and low in fat and sodium.
ADVICE FOR TODAY
Eat more grain
products (breads, cereals, pasta, and rice), vegetables, and fruits. Eat dry
beans, lentils, and peas more often. Increase your fiber intake by eating more
of a variety of whole grains, whole-grain products, dry beans, fiber-rich
vegetables and fruits such as carrots, corn, peas, pears, and berries.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits
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