What are the six food groups? Teach you to easily calculate the calories and nutrients of each meal

How many calories are in a bowl of rice? Which has higher calories, noodles or rice? I'm on a diet and want to eat some fruit. Should I eat an orange, a banana, or five grapes? The biggest secret is that most of the food in the world can actually be divided into several "major categories", and the nutritional components contained in the same major category are very similar. This can be clearly seen from the table below.

Calories and nutrients in one standard serving

Therefore, as long as you know which category each ingredient in the food you eat belongs to, and how many servings of these ingredients there are (the "standard portion" in nutrition), you can quickly calculate the calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat content of the whole food!

The dietary guidelines published by governments around the world are mostly based on this principle, allowing us to easily understand how to use appropriate amounts and combine different types of food to achieve the goal of balanced health. For example: MyPlate in the United States and Taiwan’s “Daily Dietary Guidelines”.

MyPlate from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

(Image source: Wikipedia)

Published by Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Administration

A quick introduction to the six major food groups

1. Whole grains and root vegetables

Common staple foods such as rice, noodles, potatoes, etc. are all whole grains and root vegetables. In the past, they were all called whole grains and root vegetables, but in recent years it has been discovered that "whole grains" have many micronutrients and health benefits, so the Ministry of Health and Welfare changed the name to help everyone remember to eat whole grains. Depending on body weight, the recommended daily intake of whole grains and root vegetables is 1.5 to 4 bowls of rice (normal-sized bowls). It is especially important to note that when you see sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin, and yams as side dishes in your bento, remember to eat less rice, because they are all whole grains and root vegetables. Don’t treat them all as “side dishes” so as not to create an extra burden!

2. Beans, fish, meat and eggs

Beans, fish, meat and eggs mainly provide protein. It is recommended to eat 3-8 servings a day. A palm-sized piece of meat has 2-3 servings, 1 egg is also equal to 1 serving, and a 480ml carton of commercially available soy milk is approximately equal to 2 servings. It is recommended that you do not eat more than a palm-sized piece of meat in one meal!

3. Vegetables

The most important thing about vegetables is that they provide dietary fiber, and the minimum daily intake of dietary fiber is 25 grams. However, the average intake of Taiwanese is only 16 grams, which is far below the recommended amount. Lack of dietary fiber can easily increase the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, high blood lipids and high blood cholesterol. Therefore, 3-5 servings of vegetables a day is just right. One serving of vegetables is about the size of a fist after being cooked, which is almost half a bowl of rice. It is best to eat one serving of vegetables at every meal to be healthy!

4. Fruits

Cut the fruit into pieces and fill the bowl to 80%, which is about the size of a fist. 2-4 servings a day are just right! I would like to remind you that eating fruit is healthier than drinking it. Try to avoid choosing freshly squeezed juice. It is easy to accidentally consume too much fruit and sugar, and the fiber content of fruits and vegetables is also reduced after filtering.

5. Dairy products

Dairy products are rich in calcium and protein, but for health reasons, it is not advisable to consume too much fat. It is recommended to choose low-fat dairy products, 1.5 to 2 cups a day (1 cup is 240c.c., equivalent to the size of a fist). One cup of 400ml fresh milk packaged in a commercial carton can almost meet the dairy needs of a day!

6. Oils, fats, nuts and seeds

In addition to common vegetable oils and animal oils, fats also include processed sauces such as salad dressing and peanut butter. The recommended daily intake is 3-7 teaspoons, and the size of one index finger joint is one teaspoon (about 5 grams). The recommended daily intake of nuts and seeds is one serving, which is about one tablespoon, equivalent to a thumb. Be careful, avocado and bacon are also considered as fats and oils, so consume them in moderation to avoid exceeding the limit!

Now imagine the meal you just had. Can you roughly imagine what types of food it contained? Is there a way to calculate the total calories of a meal? If you still can't do it, it's normal. In the next course, the nutritionist will help you to have a deeper understanding of each major food group and know how to estimate the portion more quickly. With the exclusive tools in the App, you only need to enter the portion size after eating, and the calories and other nutrients will be automatically calculated!