So many people today have developed a fast-paced lifestyle that leaves little time or energy necessary to guarantee they get the right nutrition in each day. We opt for what looks good, whatever we feel like eating at the moment, or whatever we have time for. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to be fat. Nobody wants to feel tired all day. And yet obesity is on the rise and people are more stressed and tired than ever before.

Our diets are the biggest risk of all. With it you control how long you will live, how you will look, how you feel and how well you will perform. The air we now breathe and the water we now drink are not as pure as they were for our grandparents and play a vital role in our overall health.

When average Americans from different age groups were asked about their daily nutrition intake look at what their perception was vs reality.
Consumption of Food Groups Servings:
People's Perception vs Reality

Ask yourself if you are getting the correct amount of servings from each food group found below.

The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day based on the Dietary Guidelines. It's not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that's right for you.
The Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of calories to maintain healthy weight.
Use the Pyramid to help you eat better every day...the Dietary Guidelines way. Start with plenty of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables, and fruits. Add 2-3 servings from the milk group and 2-3 servings from the meat group. Remember to go easy on fats, oils, and sweets, the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid.

What Counts as One Serving?

The amount of food that counts as one serving is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving. For example, a dinner portion of spaghetti would count as 2 or 3 servings of pasta.
Be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the five major food groups listed below. You need them for the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide. Just try to pick the lowest fat choices from the food groups. No specific serving size is given for the fats, oils, and sweets group because the message is USE SPARINGLY.

[Arrange in tabular format]
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
1 cup of milk or yogurt 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese 2 ounces of process cheese
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat
Vegetable
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit
1 medium apple, banana, orange 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
1 slice of bread 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta