Nutrition Basics
the 2005 pyramid
Background
The USDA Pyramid is an eating pattern based on the Dietary Guidelines. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992, and revised in 2005. The 2005 edition is flexible enough to adapt to a wide range of calorie levels, food preferences, and cuisines to meet the needs of different people. An interactive version, MyPyramid, is available on the website www.mypyramid.gov. It estimates how many calories a person needs based on age, gender, and physical activity.
Basic Messages
- Get the most nutrition out of the day’s calories.
- Make smart choices from every food group.
- Mix up your choices within each food group.
- Find your balance between food and physical activity.
Food Groups at Different Calorie Levels
Most older adults need to consume about 1600 to 2400 calories per day, unless they have a high level of physical activity. Within each calorie level, the Pyramid gives advice for how many foods to consume within each food group. The next few pages list tips on what counts as a Pyramid serving in each food group. The source of this information is the USDA Pyramid (available at the website address of www.mypyramid.gov).
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. Adult day health programs operating under CACFP must follow CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements. See the Crediting Foods section for these requirements.
Calorie
Levels |
|||||
| Food Group | 1600 | 1800 | 2000 | 2200 | 2400 |
| Grains (ounces) | 5 oz | 6 oz | 6 oz | 7 oz | 8 oz |
| Vegetables (cups) | 2 c | 2½ c | 2½ c | 3 c | 3 c |
| Fruits (cups) | 1½ c | 1½ c | 2 c | 2 c | 2 c |
| Milk (cups) | 3 c | 3 c | 3 c | 3 c | 3 c |
| Meat and Beans (ounces) | 5 oz | 5 oz | 5½ oz | 6 oz | 6½ oz |
| Oils(tsp) | 5 tsp | 5 tsp | 6 tsp | 6 tsp | 7 tsp |
Pyramid Food Groups
GRAINS: What Counts as 1 Ounce in the Pyramid?
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
In general, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal counts as 1 ounce from the grains group.
| Grain Food | Amount that Counts as 1 Ounce of Grains | Larger Portion Sizes and Their Equivalent in Ounces of Grains |
| Bagels | ½ “mini” bagel | 1 large bagel (4 oz) |
| Biscuits | 1 small biscuit, 2” | 1 large biscuit (2 oz) |
| Breads | 1 regular slice 4 snack-size slices |
|
| Bulgur | ½ cup cooked bulgur | |
| Cereal, Ready-to-eat | 1 cup cereal flakes 1¼ cup puffed cereal |
|
| Cereal, Oatmeal | ½ cup cooked 1 packet instant |
|
| Cornbread | 1 small piece | |
| Crackers | 5 whole-wheat crackers 2 rye crisp crackers 7 round crackers |
|
| English muffins | ½ English muffin | 1 English muffin (2 oz) |
| Muffins | 1 small muffin | 1 large muffin (3 oz) |
| Pancakes | 1 medium pancake, 4½” 2 small pancakes, 3” |
3 medium pancakes (3 oz) |
| Popcorn* | 3 cups popcorn, popped | 1 bag microwave popcorn (4 oz) |
| Rice | ½ cup cooked rice 1 ounce dry rice |
1 cup cooked rice (2 oz) |
| Pasta--spaghetti, macaroni, noodles | ½ cup cooked pasta 1 ounce dry pasta |
1 cup cooked pasta (2 oz) |
| Tortillas | 1 small tortilla, 6” | 1 large tortilla, 12” (4 oz) |
* Not a creditable CACFP food.
VEGETABLES: What Counts as 1 Cup in the Pyramid?
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens count as 1 cup. Below are specific amounts that count as 1 cup of vegetables. Each week, older adults should consume vegetables from each of the 5 subgroups listed below.
| Dark-Green Vegetables | Amount That Counts as 1 Cup of Vegetables |
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped OR 3 spears |
| Greens (collards, mustard greens, kale) | 1 cup cooked |
| Spinach | 2 cups raw OR 1 cup cooked |
| Raw leafy greens | 2 cups raw |
| Orange Vegetables | |
 Carrots |
1 cup chopped OR 2 medium carrots OR 12 baby carrots |
| Pumpkin | 1 cup mashed, cooked |
| Sweet potato | 1 large baked OR 1 cup mashed, cooked |
| Winter squash (acorn, butternut, Hubbard) | 1 cup cubed, cooked |
| Dry beans and peas | |
| Black, garbanzo, kidney, or pinto beans | 1 cup, cooked |
| Soybeans, black-eyed peas, split peas | 1 cup, cooked |
| Tofu* | 1 cup of ½-inch cubes (8 oz tofu) |
| Starchy Vegetables | |
| Corn, yellow or white | 1 cup OR 1 large ear |
| Green peas | 1 cup |
| White potatoes | 1 cup diced, mashed OR 1 medium potato OR 20 French fries |
| Other Vegetables | |
| Bean sprouts | 1 cup cooked |
| Cabbage | 1 cup, chopped or shredded |
| Celery | 1 cup, diced OR 2 large stalks |
| Cucumbers | 1 cup raw |
| Green or wax beans | 1 cup cooked |
| Green or red peppers | 1 large pepper OR 1 cup chopped |
| Lettuce, iceberg or head | 2 cups, chopped |
| Mushrooms | 1 cup raw or cooked |
| Onions | 1 cup chopped, raw or cooked |
| Tomatoes | 1 large raw whole OR 1 cup chopped |
| Tomato or mixed vegetable juice | 1 cup |
| Summer squash or zucchini | 1 cup cooked, sliced or diced |
* Not a creditable CACFP food.
FRUITS: What Counts as 1 Cup in the Pyramid?
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit counts as 1 cup from the fruit group. The following specific amounts count as 1 cup of fruit.
| Fruit | Amount That Counts as 1 Cup of Fruit |
| Apple | ½ large OR 1 small OR 1 cup sliced or chopped |
| Applesauce | 1 cup |
| Banana | 1 large OR 1 cup sliced |
| Cantaloupe | 2 cups diced |
| Grapes | 1 cup OR 32 grapes |
| Grapefruit |
1 cup of sections |
| Mixed fruit / Fruit cocktail | 1 cup |
| Orange | 1 large OR 1 cup of sections |
| Peach | 1 large OR 1 cup sliced OR 2 halves, canned |
| Pear | 1 medium OR 1 cup sliced or diced |
| Pineapple | 1 cup chunks, sliced or crushed |
| Plum | 1 cup sliced OR 3 medium OR 2 large plums |
| Strawberries | About 8 large berries OR 1 cup |
| Watermelon | 1 small wedge (1” thick) OR 1 cup diced |
| Dried fruit (raisins, prunes, etc.) | ½ cup |
| 100% Fruit juice (orange, apple, etc.) | 1 cup |
MILK, YOGURT, AND CHEESE: What Counts as 1 Cup in the Pyramid?
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
| Food or Beverage | Amount That Counts as 1 Cup of Milk |
| Milk Choose fat-free or low-fat milk most often. |
1 cup fluid milk 1 half-pint container of fluid milk ½ cup evaporated milk |
| Yogurt* Choose fat-free or low-fat yogurt most often. |
1 regular container
(8 fluid ounces) 1 cup |
| Cheese* Choose fat-free or low-fat types most often. |
1½ oz hard
cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan) 2 oz processed cheese (American) 1/3 cup shredded cheese ½ cup ricotta cheese 2 cups cottage cheese |
| Milk-based
desserts* Choose fat-free or low-fat types most often. |
1 cup pudding made
with milk 1 cup frozen yogurt 1½ cups ice cream (3 scoops) |
* Not CACFP-creditable as fluid milk.
MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, DRY BEANS, EGGS, AND NUTS: What Counts as 1 Ounce in the Pyramid?
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds count as a 1 ounce equivalent.
| Food | Amount that Counts | Common
Portion Sizes as 1 Ounce of Meat and Their Equivalent |
| Meats | 1 oz lean beef, cooked 1 oz lean pork or ham, cooked |
1 small steak (4
oz) 1 small lean hamburger (3 oz) |
| Poultry | 1 oz chicken or turkey,
cooked, no skin 1 sandwich-sized slice of turkey |
½ small chicken
breast (3 oz) ½ Cornish game hen (4 oz) |
| Fish | 1 oz fish or shellfish, cooked | 1 can of tuna, drained
(3 oz) 1 salmon steak (4 to 6 oz) 1 small trout (3 oz) |
| Eggs |
1 egg | |
| Nuts & seeds |
½ oz nuts ½ oz seeds, hulled (pumpkin, sunflower, or squash) 1 Tbsp peanut butter |
1 oz nuts or seeds (counts as 2 oz meat) |
| Dry beans & peas |
¼ cup cooked
dry beans ¼ cup cooked dry peas ¼ cup baked beans or refried beans ¼ cup roasted soybeans ¼ cup (about 2 oz) tofu* 2 Tbsp hummus |
1 cup split pea soup (counts as 2 oz meat) 1 cup bean soup (counts as 2 oz meat) 1 soy patty (counts as 2 oz meat) |
* Not a creditable CACFP food.
NOTE: Pyramid servings may not always be equal to servings of food listed for crediting purposes. See the Crediting Foods section for CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements.
OILS: How Much Are in Foods?
| Amount of Food | Amount of Oil | |
| Vegetable Oils | 1 Tbsp | 3 tsp |
| Foods Rich in Oils: |
||
| Margarine,
soft (trans fat free) Mayonnaise Salad dressing, mayonnaise-type Salad dressing, Italian Salad dressing, Thousand Island Olives, ripe, canned Avocado1 Peanut butter2 Peanuts, dry roasted2 Nuts, dry roasted2 Sunflower seeds2 |
1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 4 large ½ medium 2 Tbsp 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz |
2½ tsp 2½ tsp 1 tsp 2 tsp 2½ tsp ½ tsp 3 tsp 4 tsp 3 tsp 3 tsp 3 tsp |
1. Avocados are
part of the fruit group. |
||
The Pyramid and Physical Activity
What is Physical Activity?
Physical activity is movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, gardening, and climbing the stairs are examples. Physical activity and nutrition work together for better health.
What are the Benefits?
- Improved self-esteem and feeling of well-being.
- Increased fitness level.
- Building and maintaining bones, muscles, and joints.
- Building endurance and muscle strength.
- Increased flexibility and better posture.
- Helping to manage weight.
- Lower risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
- Helping to control blood pressure.
- Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety.
Do Different Types of Activity Provide Different Benefits?
- Aerobic activities speed the heart rate and breathing, and improve heart and lung fitness. Examples are brisk walking, jogging, and swimming.
- Resistance, strength building, and weight-bearing activity help maintain bones and muscles by working them against gravity. Examples are lifting weights and walking.
- Balance and stretching activities enhance physical stability and flexibility, which reduces risk of injuries. Examples are gentle stretch, dance, yoga, and tai chi.
How Much Activity is Needed?
If possible, do moderate intensity activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week, in addition to usual daily activities. Increasing the intensity or time can have extra health benefits and may help control body weight. Older adults should see a health care provider before starting any physical activity program.
Tips to Increase Physical Activity
- Make physical activity a regular part of the day. Choose activities that are enjoyable and can be done regularly. Fit activity into a daily routine. It helps to be active most days of the week and make it part of daily routine. Aim for at least 10 minutes of activity at a time. Shorter bursts will not have the same health benefits.
- Ideas for older adults: walk with others, do strength and flexibility exercises, care for a garden, take a yoga class, do upper body exercises, or take a nature walk.
