There are dozens of superfoods to pick from including salmon, blueberries, kale, acai, goji berries, chia seeds, black garlic and many more. These superfoods would be a great addition to most diets to add vitamins, minerals and aid in digestion, to name just a few benefits. But experts say focusing on just one item isn’t enough.
According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, your focus should be on getting a healthy diet to support your lifestyle from a variety of food groups.
“No single food can supply all nutrients in the amounts you need,” according to dietary guidelines published by health.gov. Just as oranges may be a great source of vitamin C and cheese great for vitamin B12, you need both of these for your body and mind to function as intended.
The best way to ensure you and your family are getting all the nutrients required for a healthy lifestyle is to follow the recommended number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups displayed in the Food Guide Pyramid.
We are all familiar with the food pyramid but here is a reminder with daily serving recommendations:
- Fats, oil and sweets group – use sparingly
- Milk, yogurt and cheese group – 2 to 3 servings sparingly per day
- Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts group – 2 to 3 servings
- Vegetable group – 3-5 servings
- Fruit group – 2-4 servings
- Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group – 6-11 servings
WATCH YOUR SERVING SIZE
As you are planning your meals to ensure a well-balanced diet, don’t forget to consider serving size. The object of a well-balanced diet is not to overstuff yourself to make your daily food pyramid quote but to get enough of the nutrients each food provides. So pay attention to serving size suggestions when dishing up your family’s dinner.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR BALANCING ACT
Another plus of a well-balanced diet? Offering a variety of foods at each meal will also help make mealtime more interesting by offering multiple flavors, colors and textures that your family may enjoy. With lots of options, even picky eaters are bound to find something they like on their plate.