One of the best resources available for reference is the United States Department of Agriculture which gives information on how much food should be eaten from the basic food groups on a daily basis, otherwise known as the food pyramid. For instance, for optimum health, each day a person should eat a certain amount of food from each of the following groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Meat and Beans, Dairy, and Oils.

It is important to understand that healthy eating plans are not a one size fits all concept. The amounts that you will need to eat will depend on a variety of factors such as age, weight, height and daily level of physical activity. You can easily design a plan with these factors as a basis by simply typing in your information on the USDA website. You will then receive a plan that will tell you the amount from each food group you should consume each day.

You can even find out different ideas for fulfilling your daily requirements from each group by checking out the Tips section foe free. For instance, if you want some ideas on incorporating grains into your diet, you can use whole wheat pasta when you make spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. Or, you can choose to snack on popcorn, which is considered a whole grain, as long as it has no added salt or butter.  Some great ideas for incorporating dairy into your diet are to make a low fat yogurt smoothie with fruit by using your blender, or to top your vegetables with shredded low fat cheese. Your best choice of meats are those that are lean cuts. Red meat, poultry, pork or fish are all good choices. If you are a vegetarian, you can use beans in place of meat. You can even make your own hamburgers from beans. Oils can be added to your diet by using low fat mayonnaise or by eating certain low fat nuts or avocados. With a little planning, you can enjoy a diverse and healthy eating plan each day.

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