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Nutrition Recommendations

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

The government's guidelines for proper nutrition vary for individuals based on their age and size. But here are some good general guidelines to know before you head to the store and check out the nutrition labels.

The Basics: Know limits on fats, salt and sugars. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose foods and beverages with little sodium and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

Fruits: Eat a variety — fresh, frozen, canned or dried — rather than fruit juice. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you need 2 cups of fruit each day (for example, 1 small banana, 1 large orange and 1/4 cup of dried apricots).

Veggies: Eat more dark green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto, kidney, black and garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils.

Grains: Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. One ounce equals about one slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.

Proteins: Go lean. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake, broil or grill it. Vary your choices — with more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

Calcium: Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk — or an equal amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (11/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk) — every day. For kids ages 2 to 8, it's 2 cups of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans

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