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Each food group (Grains, Milk, Fruit, Vegetables, and Meat & Beans) provides valuable nutrients that our bodies need in order to function properly and to help prevent disease. Our bodies are amazingly intricate as they perform thousands and thousands of processes every day. Those processes require nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, from each of the food groups. When we don't provide our bodies with the appropriate amount of nutrients, we suffer. Many of our nation's top killers (e.g., heart disease, stroke, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and obesity) have direct links to our diet. We don't have to follow what some would call a "health nut" diet in order to decrease our risk for disease and maintain a healthy weight. All you need to do is simply make small, gradual changes in your eating habits. It's really not as hard as you may think. Also, if you struggle with reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, keep in mind that: When you begin to eat adequate amounts from each of the basic food groups, you'll have less room for some of the not-so-healthy foods that may be contributing to your weight. You'll notice that the chart below includes the number of servings needed for each group daily and the serving sizes, but that's not because I think you should be imprisoned by numbers and measurements. Rather, it's just to give you a basic idea of how much you need to meet your nutrient needs and to give you a baseline for your current diet. Food Group: Grains Servings Per Day: 5-8 Serving Sizes: 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 cup dry cereal, 1/2 whole wheat bagel, 1/2 English muffin, small dinner roll or muffin, 1/2 cup cooked cereal, 1/2 cup brown rice, 3 cups popcorn, 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta, 6 soda crackers, 3 graham cracker squares, 1 tortilla Food Group: Milk Servings Per Day: 3 Serving Sizes: 1 cup skim or 1% milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 2 slices cheese, 1/3 cup shredded cheese Food Group: Fruit Servings Per Day: 3-4 Serving Sizes: 1/2 cup chopped fresh, 1/2 cup canned (light), small piece whole fresh, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 grapefruit, 16 grapes, 1/4 cup dried, 1/2 cup 100% juice (4 oz.) Food Group: Vegetables Servings Per Day: 4-6 Serving Sizes: 1/2 cup cooked, 1/2 cup raw chopped, 6 baby carrots, 1 cup raw leafy, 1/2 cup juice (4 oz.) Food Group: Meat & Beans Servings Per Day: 5-6 oz. Serving Sizes: 1 oz. lean meat, fish, or poultry, 1 oz. cheese, 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1/4 cup canned tuna or salmon, 1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute, 1/2 oz. nuts or seeds, 1 Tbsp peanut butter
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