Food Groups - a classification

There are various ways of classifying the food groups or the various sources of food that we consume everyday. The following classification is based on the nutritional properties of these types of foods.

It is recommended that you eat certain amounts and foods of each of the categories in these food groups. This will help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.

1) Grain Products

Some examples of grain products are: breads, pastas, cereals, crackers, and rice. Grains will supply you with energy and protein. Proteins are important for your metabolism and for maintaining cell shape. It is recommended to have 6-10 servings of grain products per day.

2) Vegetables

In most vegetables you will find many different vitamins and minerals, so it is important to eat a variety of vegetables. For example, vitamin C you can find in green vegetables, whereas in dark green vegetables you can find vitamin A. Broccoli and related vegetables contain calcium and iron. Vegetables hardly contain fats or salt, therefore be careful not to add too much of these unwanted nutrients during cooking. It is recommended to have 3-5 servings of grain products per day.

3) Fruits

Fruits are the part of a plant that bare seed; for example oranges, apples, grapes, berries, plums etc. Many of the fruits are a source of natural sugars, fibers and vitamins and are low in fats. Often, however, when you process fruit sugars and unwanted nutrients are added. Therefore it is recommended to have 2- servings of fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice per day.

4) Dairy products

The milk of in particular cows, sheep’s and goats are used to prepare dairy products like consumable milk, cheeses, yogurt and ice cream. Dairy products will provide you next to a high number of the mineral calcium, also proteins, vitamin A, phosphorus, and sometimes vitamin D. Because many dairy products contain a high percentage of fat, you can also as an alternative buy skimmed products. It is recommended to have 2-4 servings per day.

5) Meat and alternatives

Meat, like the alternatives (e.g. eggs, nuts, dry beans etc.), is a major source of protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B. Meats provide energy and nutrients, but are often high in fat and sometimes sodium. For vegetarians there are many alternatives (not derived from animals) that provide the same nutrition’s.

6) Fats, oils and sugars

These are foods that do not fit into any of the previous categories. For example under fat and oils you would categorize butter, salad dressings and mayonnaise and under sugar you would categorize sweets and chocolate. Although sugar will provide you calories, they are usually without vitamins or nutrients. Be moderate in the usage.

If you use a variety of products from each of the food groups, you will see positive results in a short time.

Although all food groups are important, you in particular should focus on food groups 1-3.