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I really love to eat, and I've known so many people who really do love eating. But some of us sometimes forget or really don't know what are the right serving size of food we should eat daily. We just eat and eat what we like without knowing that everything too much is bad specially
to our health. The food pyramid shows how much food we should eat or consume from each of the food groups each day. Yes there is a certain amount of chicken, rice, fruits, vegetables, milk, etc.. that we should eat each day. It depends also on our age, gender,physical condition, and activity level. Everyone should have at least the minimum number of servings from each food group daily. Many men, women, teenagers, and older children need more. The number of servings from each food group may sound like a lot, but it really is not, One serving is not the same as one helping.

Here are the right serving sizes from the Food groups, lets start with:

A serving of Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta is

• 1 slice of bread
• 1/2 cup of hot cereal
• 1 cup dry cereal
• 1 6-inch tortilla
• 1/2 cup rice or pasta

• 1 medium fruit
• 1/2 grapefruit
• 3/4 cup juice
• 1/2 cup cut-up fruit, berries, or canned, cooked, or frozen fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruit

• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
• 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables
• 3/4 cup vegetable juice
• 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetables
• 1 small potato

• 1 cup (8 ounces) milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces cheese
• 1 cup frozen yogurt
• 1 cup cottage cheese (equals half a serving)

• 1/2 cup tuna or ground beef
• 1 small chicken leg or thigh
• 1 medium pork chop
• 1 chicken breast
• 1/4 pound hamburger patty
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup lentils, peas or dry beans
• 1/2 cup tofu

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, which contain fiber, vitamins, and other valuable nutrients, can help lower the risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain type of cancer. The right eating habits will do more than help you and your family stay healthy, they will in fact, improve your health. But health is only one of the reasons why we should make informed choices when it comes to food. Eating is also one of life's pleasures. There is no reason not to enjoy all kinds of foods, just do not overeat it. The key to healthy eating is balance. Eating a balanced diet means eating a variety of foods that supply the calories and nutrients you need without excess fat, salt, sugar, and alcohol.

Everyday we need more than 50 nutrients from food, including those that supply calories (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and those that help with various body functions (vitamins, minerals, and water). Despite claims to the contrary, there are no known advantages to consuming large quantities of a specific nutrients or food. Each day, we should eat a variety of foods from each food group to get the nutrients we need.

The Food groups of the Food Pyramid

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta = this group will give us carbohydrates for energy, as well as B vitamins and iron. Use whole grains, 100 percent whole wheat bread, barley, oats, quinoa, and brown rice to give your meals a boost of fiber. Go easy on the fat and sugars you add on spreads, seasonings, or toppings. A sweet tooth is not a valid excuse to feast on high sugar and high fat goodies, such as cookies and cake.

Fruits and Vegetables = this group provides fiber and vitamins A, C, and E. Choose deeply colored vegetables and fruits like spinach, carrots, peaches, berries, plums, raisins, eggplants, cantaloupes, tomatoes and oranges, watermelons, peppers, to get the most nutrients. Eat at least five servings from a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Limit fruit juices, they are low in fiber and high in calories. A diet rich in fruits and and vegetables is known to lower the risk for heart disease and stroke, and mat protect against certain forms of cancer.

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese = Dairy products are great sources of calcium and also provide protein, vitamin A and phosphorus. Fortified milk has vitamin D added to it. Choose non fat or low fat products, such as skim milk, to get nutrients without adding a lit of fat and calories.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts = this food group provide high quality protein, which contains all the essential amino acids for building body proteins. They are necessary for growth and development of children, and for maintaining body tissues in adults. B complex, iron and zinc. Choose lean cuts of meat. When preparing meat, trim the fat, remove skin from poultry, and drain grease used in cooking.

Fat, Oils, and Sweets = Fat is a essential nutrient, but many foods in this group, including ice cream, butter, gravy, and salad dressing, provide a lot of calories and only little vitamins and minerals. However, they add flavor and variety to our diets. Limit the amount of foods you consume on this group. Spread a smaller amount of butter, margarine, or jelly on bread, use less fat and oil in cooking, when you cook, cut down some of the fats and sugars by reducing the amounts of fat intake at less than 30 percent of your total calories.

Fruits (citrus fruits, apples) and vegetables (green leafy vegetables and tomatoes) make up the glow foods, a review of elementary school science will remind us. These foods contain essential vitamins and minerals for youthful skin, as so dairy products, such as milk and cheese, eggs, and animal protein. There are a lot vitamins and minerals that the skin needs, including the fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, E, K) vitamins B and C, folic acid, biotin, selenium, and zinc. Even essential fatty acid are also important for a healthy skin. Here are the vitamins and minerals naturally found in food that keep skin looking young and glowing. You'll be amaze that all of this foods are also found in the food pyramid.

Vitamin A - maintains and repairs skin tissue and may reduce the risk of psoriasis.
It can be found in:

• sweet potato
• carrots
• mango
• spinach
• milk
• egg yolk
• cheese

• green leafy vegetables
• beans
• peas
• meat
• fish
• dairy products
• fortified grains

• citrus fruits
• green leafy vegetables
• broccoli
  
• cauliflower
• bell pepper

• Vegetable oils
• nuts
• seeds
• olives
• spinach
• asparagus

• green leafy vegetables
• broccoli
  
• spinach

• green leafy vegetables
• beans
• wheat germ

• bananas
• eggs
• oatmeal
  
• rice

• whole grain cereals
• seafood
• garlic
• eggs

• liver
• seafood
• beans
• nuts
• whole grains

• oysters
• poultry
• lean meat