Grouping our Food

"The food groups are part of a method of classification for the various foods that humans consume in their everyday lives, based on the nutritional properties of these types of foods and their location in a hierarchy of nutrition."

The categories of food generally include the following: Grain products, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and alternatives, fats, oils, and sugars. The terms balanced meal and balanced diet mean that all four major food groups have been taken into account. The following image from Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating shows the number of items from each of the major food groups that a person should consume each day.

The number of items listed is to be used as a guide since different people require different amounts of food. According to the Food Guide, age, body size, activity level, whether you are male or female and if you are pregnant or breast-feeding should all come into consideration when choosing how much food to eat from each category.

The lower number of servings on the guide are for young children, while male teenagers can choose the highest number. The average person can choose servings somewhere in between the two extremes.

The Food Guide also gives the following tips when selecting food from each category: Grain products - Choose whole grain and enriched products more often. Vegetables and fruit - Choose dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often. Milk products - Choose lower-fat milk products more often. Meat and alternatives - Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often.

Also remember that there are foods that do not fall into the four major food groups. These are often used to add taste and enjoyment to an otherwise balanced meal, and can be made to fit in with a healthy lifestyle when enjoyed in moderation. These foods include foods that are high in fat such as oil, mayonnaise and butter, and foods that are high in sugar such as jam and honey. Also in this group are high-fat and high-salt snack foods such as chips, as well as condiments such as ketchup and beverages such as tea, coffee and alcohol.