Four Food Groups

Four Food Groups








We were taught in school, many, many years ago, that to remain healthy you needed to eat so many servings from the four basic food groups.

They were breads and grains, meats and beans, fruits and vegetables, and dairy.

In 1994, when my children were in school, they were taught, that to stay healthy, you needed to eat so many servings from the "Food Pyramid".

The government had changed the original four groups into six groups.

The foods on the bottom of the pyramid were the ones you were supposed to eat the most of, and the ones on the top should be consumed sparingly.

Not surprisingly, the breads and grains are at the base - which means we should eat more servings of them than any of the others.

I can go along with that - bread, pasta, rice - I love them all - but when dieting, they are the ones that have the most carbs. And watching how many and what kind of carbs you consume plays a big role in loosing weight.

Ok - on to the next level - it is split between the vegetables and the fruits.

They each get their own recommended servings with the veggies making up a bigger part of the intake.

The third layer is also divided between the meats, beans, and nuts and the milk, cheese, and yogurt group. They each get an equal part in the daily intake.

The very top of the pyramid contains the fats, oils, and sweets.

This is the new part that we didn't learn about back in school all those years ago.

They were never figured into the daily consumption, and they were used with a heavy hand.

Everything had butter in it and dessert was a part of every lunch and dinner.

And another thing, obesity across America was not a problem as it is today.

Heart disease and cancer are at all time highs also.

Making the right choices in our food consumption is not an easy thing. I think using the government guidelines is a step, but not necessarily the answer.

Using common sense and doing what works for each individual is the best step towards a more healthy lifestyle.