How does your daily diet size up to minimum requirements? To check your balance -- or to commit to better eating habits -- take a look at the following guidelines for what you should be enjoying on your plate each and every day
Eat a minimum of 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day
Most people don't eat enough vegetables — especially the leafy-green and deep-orange ones. On average, Americans eat the equivalent of only about one-quarter of a serving a day. About half eat no fruit at all on some days.
Vitamin pills can't replace the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in produce. But not to worry, because servings are actually quite small: 1/2 cup of most cooked vegetables, 1 cup of salad, or a piece of fruit qualifies as one serving.
 | Don't drink all your fruits in the form of juice. You miss out on fiber if you do, and you easily consume too many calories. A mere 4 ounces of juice equals one serving of fruit, and most people drink much more than that at a time. |
Eat at least 3 servings of whole grains each day
Only 20 percent of the bread sold in the United States is whole-grain. That's too bad, because you get more fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and potassium in whole-wheat bread than in white. These nutrients help protect against heart disease, diverticulosis, cancer, and diabetes. The fiber difference between a single slice of whole-wheat bread and one of white is 2 grams.
Twenty to 35 grams of fiber a day are recommended.
Eat at least 4 servings of beans, lentils, or peas each week
Like most vegetables, beans, lentils, and peas are good sources of fiber and phytochemicals (plant nutrients) that help cut the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. But unlike other vegetables, they have enough protein to substitute for a serving of meat, poultry, or fish.
Eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 small snacks a day
You generally need to eat every 3 to 4 hours. Research has shown that people who snack are often less likely to overeat than those who restrict their eating. The body is also better able to absorb and use the nutrients in a meal than it can when presented with the feast-or-famine scenario of the typical three-meals-a-day, no-snacks pattern.
Eat breakfast
Missing this meal is a big mistake. After an overnight fast, your body needs fuel to move. Otherwise, metabolism slows, which reduces how many calories you burn. Many studies have shown that children who skip breakfast have difficulty concentrating during the day. It's true for adults, too.
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