Child and Adult Care Food Program: Aligning Dietary Guidance for All (2011)
Chapter: Appendix H: MyPyramid Food Groups and Subgroups
TABLE H-1 Foods Belonging to the Food Groups and Food Subgroups Identified in the Standards for Menu Planninga
Food Groupb/Subgroup | Foodsc |
Fruit Group | Apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, fruit cocktail, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon |
100% Fruit juice | Apple, grape, grapefruit, orange |
Vegetable Group |
|
Dark green vegetables | Bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy lettuce, kale, mesclun, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, watercress |
Orange vegetables | Acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, hubbard squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes |
Legumes | Black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), green peas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans (dried or fresh, frozen, or canned), navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu (bean curd made from soybeans), white beans |
| Green peas and fresh, frozen, or canned (not dried) lima beans are considered part of this group as well as part of the starchy vegetable group, but should be counted in one group only. (See comment under meat and meat alternates group about counting legumes in the legumes subgroup or the meat and meat alternates group.) |
Starchy vegetables | Corn, green peas, lima beans, potatoes |
Other vegetables | Artichokes, asparagus, bean sprouts (cooked or canned only), beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, green or red peppers, iceberg (head) lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, tomatoes, tomato juice, vegetable juice, turnips, wax beans, zucchini |
Grain Groupd |
|
Whole grains | Amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, muesli, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, sorghum, triticale, whole grain barley, whole grain cornmeal, whole rye, whole wheat bread, whole wheat cereal flakes, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat sandwich buns and rolls, wild rice |
Refined grains | Cornbread,e corn flakes cereal, corn tortillas,e couscous,e crackers,e flour tortillas,e grits, macaroni,e noodles,e pitas,e spaghetti,e white bread, white rice, white sandwich buns and rolls |
Food Groupb/Subgroup | Foodsc |
Meat and Meat Alternates Group |
|
Meatf and poultry | Beef, bison, chicken, duck, goose, ground chicken and turkey, ham, lamb, luncheon meats, pork, rabbit, turkey, veal |
Fish and shellfish | Anchovies, catfish, clams, cod, crab, crayfish, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, lobster, mackerel, mussels, octopus, pollock, porgy, salmon, sardines, scallops, sea bass, shrimp, snapper, squid (calamari), swordfish, trout, tuna |
Eggs | Chicken eggs, duck eggs |
Dry beans and peas | Black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), falafel, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu (bean curd made from soybeans), white beans |
| Dry beans and peas and soybean products are considered part of this group as well as legumes in the vegetable group but should be counted in only one group. |
Nuts and seeds | Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), mixed nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts |
Meat alternates | Natural cheese, tempeh, texturized vegetable protein (TVP), veggie burgers, fat-free yogurt, low-fat yogurt |
Fluid Milk | Fat-free (skim), low-fat (1% milk fat or less) |
aThis list is extensive, but does not include all possible foods in each food group. bQuantity equivalents for each food group are as follows: • Fruit and vegetables—The following each count as 1 cup of fruits or vegetables: 1 cup cut-up raw or cooked fruit or vegetable, 1 cup fruit or vegetable juice, 2 cups leafy salad greens. • Grains—The following count as 1 ounce equivalent of grains: ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 slice bread; 1 small muffin (1 oz); 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes. • Meat/Meat alternates—The following each count as 1 ounce equivalent: 1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 tablespoon peanut butter; ½ ounce nuts or seeds; 1 ounce cheese; 4 ounces yogurt. • Fluid milk—1 cup (8 oz). cSee Table 7-6 in Chapter 7 for food specifications that are part of the recommended Meal Requirements. dSome grain products contain significant amounts of bran. Bran provides fiber, which is important for health. However, products with added bran or bran alone (e.g., oat bran) are not necessarily whole grain products. eMost of these products are made from refined grains. Refer to Table 7-8 in Chapter 7 to determine whether any of these foods qualify as a whole grain-rich food. fAlthough meats that are preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or by the addition of preservatives, are sometimes lean, they usually are very high in sodium. Because of their sodium content and because the consumption of such processed meats, especially processed red meats, has been linked with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in adults (WCRF/AICR, 2007), less frequent use of even the low-fat versions of these meats may be advisable. SOURCE: Adapted from USDA, 2009. | |
REFERENCES
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). 2009. Inside the Pyramid. http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html (accessed October 19, 2010).
WCRF/AICR (World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research). 2007. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. Washington, DC: AICR. http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/?p=ER (accessed September 29, 2009).
