Vary Your Veggies
Eat more dark green and orange vegetables and legumes (dried beans, peas, and lentils). This group has kept its name from the previous pyramid. Any vegetable or 100 percent vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Vary your vegetable choices. Different vegetables are rich in different nutrients. Add different-colored vegetables to your meals each day. Examples of the five categories of vegetables:
- Dark green vegetables – broccoli, spinach, romaine and mustard greens
- Orange vegetables – pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots, and winter squash
- Legumes – lentils, dried beans, and dried peas
- Starchy – white potatoes, corn, and green peas
- Other – tomatoes, onions, green beans, and lettuce
Eat at least 2½ cups (five servings) of vegetables every day. A serving of vegetable is--
- ½ cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables
- ½ cup vegetable juice
- ½ cup cooked dried beans, peas, or lentils
- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
Most vegetables are good sources of fiber. For example, a half-cup serving of cooked dried beans has 4 to 10 grams of fiber. A healthy adult should have about 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories eaten each day.
Add vegetables to your diet. Combine vegetables with soups, spaghetti, and casseroles. Snack on cooked or raw vegetables.
Lesson Contents
I. Introduction
II. My Pyramid: Basics
III. My Pyramid: Inside the Pyramid
- a. My Pyramid: Make Half Your Grains Whole
- b. My Pyramid: Vary Your Veggies
- c. My Pyramid: Focus on Fruits
- d. My Pyramid: Get Your Calcium Rich Foods
- e. My Pyramid: Go Lean with Protein!
- f. My Pyramid: Know the Limits on Fats, Salt, and Sugars
- g. My Pyramid: Discretionary Calories
IV. Healthy Weight and Physical Activity
