Food Groups

Are you interested in healthy eating and having a balanced diet? If so, you'll want to learn more about food groups.

You may have grown up with the "Basic 4": dairy group, meat group, grain group, and the fruits and vegetables group. As nutrition science has changed, so have these food groups.

What are the basic food groups?

Foods are grouped together when they share similar nutritional properties. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 has five food groups: vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and a protein group, which includes meat, poultry, fish, legumes and nuts.

Food Groups	Examples
Vegetables	The vegetables you eat may be fresh, frozen, canned or dried and may be eaten whole, cut-up, or mashed.  You should eat a variety of dark green, red and orange vegetables, as well as beans and peas (which are also considered part of the protein group).  Examples include broccoli, carrots, collard greens, split peas, green beans, black-eyed peas, kale, lima beans, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and kidney beans. Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts in this group.
Fruits	The fruits you eat may be fresh, canned, frozen or dried and may be eaten whole, cut-up, or pureed.  Examples include apples, apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, raisins, strawberries, tangerines, and 100% fruit juice.
Grains	There are two types of grains – whole grains and refined grains. At least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, whole-grain cereals and crackers, oatmeal, bulgur, and brown rice. Refined grains include white bread, white rice, enriched pasta, flour tortillas, and most noodles.
Dairy	Most of your choices should be fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, but all milks and calcium-containing milk products count in this category. Examples include milk, cheeses, and yogurt as well as lactose-free and lactose-reduced products and soy beverages. Foods that are made from milk but have little or no calcium are not included, such as butter, cream, sour cream, and cream cheese.
Protein Foods	Choose a variety of lean meats and poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.  Make sure to eat at least 8 ounces of seafood each week.

 

*Oils are NOT a food group, but they provide essential nutrients such as vitamin E.

How much of each food group should I eat?
The amount of food you need to eat from each group depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. For information about the food groups and the recommended daily amounts visit ChooseMyPlate.gov Daily Food Plans.