Primary Care

Eat a Variety of Food Daily

• Fruits and vegetables

• Breads, cereals, and other whole grain products

• Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheeses

• Meats, poultry, fish eggs and protein sources such as dried peas and beans

Control Your Weight

• Weight control contributes to good overall health, lowers your chance of heart disease and some cancers, and keeps your energy level up

Limit Fat, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

• Choose lean meat, fish, poultry and vegetables for protein

• Keep egg yolks and organ meats to a minimum

• Reduce your intake of butter, cream, margarine, shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, and foods made from such products

• Trim excess fat off meat

• Broil, bake, poach, or boil rather than fry

Eat Food Rich in Complex Carbohydrates and Fiber

• Good sources include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and pastas, rices, nuts, beans, and peas

Use Sugar in Moderation

• Cut down on candy, ice cream, soda, cookies and cake

• Use caution with honey, brown sugar, raw sugar and maple syrup though they are more "natural" than white cane sugar, they are still sugar

• Check food labels for sugar names such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, lactose or fructose

Avoid Too Much Salt (Sodium)

• Learn to appreciate the natural, unsalted flavor of foods

• Add salt only if called for in a recipe

• Remove salt shakers from the dinner table

Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation

• Alcohol may trigger hot flashes in menopausal women, prevent proper absorption of calcium, cause liver damage, and be a risk factor in several cancers

Food Group

Daily Servings

What counts as a serving?

Fats Oils & Sweets

Limit these foods and choose the low-fat and/or low-sodium alternatives

These foods include croissants, crackers, chips, cookies, gravies, most salad dressings, margarine, butter, cream cheese, pies, cakes, donuts, ice cream, bacon, sausage, hot dogs and processed lunch meats.

Meat or Meat Alternatives

2-3 (5 to 7 ounces total lean meat or equivalent)

2-3 ounces of meat (about the size of a deck of cards)

These meat alternatives are the equivalent of 1 ounce of meat:
• 1 egg (limit yolks to 4 a week)
• 2 tbsps. peanut butter
• 1/2 cup cooked dry beans

Milk

2-3 for men
3-4 for women,
2 for children,
4 for teens & pregnant women

• 1 cup (8 oz. glass) milk
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 1/2-ounces cheese

Fruits

2-4

• 1 whole medium fruit
• cup canned fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruit
• 1/2-3/4 cup juice

Vegetables

3-5

• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
• 1 small potato
• 1/2-3/4 cup of juice

Grain Products

6-11

(include some whole grain products each day)

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 tortilla
• 1/2 of a hamburger bun
• 1/2 an English Muffin
• 1 small roll, biscuit or muffin
• 3-4 crackers
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal,
• 1/2 cup rice or pasta
• 1 small bowl of cold cereal