Descripition of the Food Pyramid graphic

The food pyramid is a tool to help you reach your daily nutrition needs by incorporating various food groups into your diet. The base of the pyramid is the Grains group. This group consists of foods such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. You should have 6 to eleven servings of grains per day. Above the grains group are the Fruit and Vegetable groups. You should have three to five servings of vegetables per day and two to four servings of fruit per day. Second from the top of the pyramid are the milk and protein groups. You should have two to three servings of dairy per day, like milk, yogurt, and cheese. And you should have two to three servings of protein per day such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. At the top of the pyramid is the fats, oils, and sweets group. These foods should be consumed sparingly.