Food Group Allowances
Food Group Allowances
Foods are divided into these categories because of similar caloric and nutritional content: Starches, Vegetables, Fruits, Protein, Dairy Products, and Fats, as well as Condiments.
Starch (S)
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The foods in the starch group contain an average of 80 calories or 15 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, only trace amounts of saturated fat, no cholesterol, and 5 milligrams of sodium per allowance, or smaller serving size. This group includes whole grains; slightly processed cereals, breads and crackers; and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, peas, and winter squash. Choose a minimum of 5 servings from this group per day, with the majority coming from the higher fiber items. All whole grains -- such as brown rice, oat groats (or steel-cut oats and oatmeal), barley (preferably hulless type), buckwheat groats, quinoa, millet, whole-wheat berries (or cracked wheat), and rye kernels -- are the ultimate base for your nutrition plan. Whole grains have more fiber and nutrients than do their processed counterparts, despite efforts to enrich these processed foods. Although all whole grains are good for you, rice is especially beneficial, offering some of the highest quality protein of any grain. If these whole grains constitute the majority of your grain intake, then you can occasionally eat slightly processed grains, such as whole grain crackers, breads, fat-free cookies, and pasta. Generally speaking, you would be getting plenty of fiber and nutrients as long as three-quarters of your grain intake is whole grain.
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Dried beans and peas can be counted as a starch OR as a protein allowance. These are the highest protein members of the starch group, and contain the richest amount of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Other nutrient and fiber rich starches are the starchy vegetables, such as yams, sweet and white potatoes, corn, peas, and winter squash. To increase your fiber and nutrient intake, consume the peelings of vegetables whenever possible.
Try to eat a variety of starches. Your body would prefer a cup of brown rice and 1/3 cup of black beans to 2 cups of potatoes. This is much more of a concern if you have unstable blood sugar, since refined, processed grains and potatoes become blood sugar faster than do these other carbohydrates. The high soluble fiber carbohydrates (oats, beans, and barley) should be on the daily menu of anyone with blood sugar irregularities, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (diabetes).
Drink 5 to 9 cups of water and beverages daily (40-72 ounces) to assure proper fluid intake with your high-fiber, complex carbohydrate-rich, starch-based diet. Respect your thirst mechanism, as fluid needs greatly vary with sodium intake and perspiration losses, and as influenced by physical stature, type and duration of exercise, temperature, and humidity. When you are eating a no-salt-added vegetarian diet it is important not to force fluids, as is often recommended with higher-sodium diets. Drinking a lot of water for "dieting" reasons can cause electrolyte imbalances if you are truly eating a no-salt-added vegetarian diet. Unless you are taking medication that alters your thirst mechanism or are performing long and strenuous exercise bouts, relax, tune into your body and trust your thirst mechanism. Make sure your urine is clear to light yellow; if it is darker, drink more water.
Portion Size for 1 Starch Allowance
The allowances, or serving sizes, for starches, as for most groups in this nutrition plan, might be smaller than you would typically eat. An asterisk (*) indicates a high-fiber item.
Breads:
Bagels - 1/2
Bread stick, 4" long by 1/2" diameter - 2
Bread (whole wheat*, rye*, oatmeal*) - 1 slice
Croutons - 1 cup
English muffin (whole wheat*, oatmeal*) - 1/2
Hamburger or hot dog bun (whole wheat*) - 1/2
Pita bread, 6" diameter (whole wheat*) - 1/2
Roll, plain (whole wheat*) - 1
Tortilla, corn* or flour, 6" diameter (without lard) - 1
Grains (cooked, unless specified otherwise):
Barley (hulled*) - 1/2 cup
Buckwheat groats* - 1/2 cup
Flake-type cereals (oat* and whole grain*) - 3/4 cup
Grits - 1/2 cup
Oat Bran* - 3 1/2 Tbs. raw
Oatmeal (oat groats*) - 1/2 cup
Polenta - 1/2 cup
Quinoa - 1/2 cup
Rice (brown*) - 1/3 cup
Wheat bran* - 3 4/5 Tbs. raw
Crackers, chips, and snacks:
Guiltless Gourmet no-fat/no-salt corn chips - 4/5 oz.
Health Valley oat bran graham crackers - 6 1/2 crackers
Matzo crackers - 3/4 oz.
Old London unsalted whole grain melba toast - 4 crackers
Popcorn, popped with no fat - 3 cups
Rice cakes - 2 cakes
Ryvita sesame rye - 2 2/3 crackers
Unsalted sesame brown rice snacks - 9 crackers
Starchy vegetables (cooked):
Acorn* or Butternut squash* - 3/4 cup
Corn* - 1/2 cup
Corn on the cob* - 1 ear, 6" long
Dried beans*, peas, lentils* - 1/3 cup
Green peas* - 1/2 cup
Lima beans* - 1/2 cup
Plantain, or yam* - 1/2 cup
Potato, baked with skin* - 1 small (1/2 c.)
Sweet potato* - 1/4 cup
Vegetables (V)
An allowance of vegetables has about 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein, trace amounts of fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, and 10 milligrams of sodium. Note the large differences in calories and carbohydrate between the starchy vegetables (with 80 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrate) and these non-starchy vegetables (with only 25 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate). The sodium content of vegetables can vary widely, with an allowance of cooked celery and spinach offering 48 and 63 milligrams of sodium, respectively. But you don't need to worry about limiting your intake of naturally occurring sodium unless you have kidney or liver disease.
Choose a minimum of 4 servings per day, but choosing more will further assist with your weight loss. Again, it would be advantageous to enjoy plenty of the higher fiber items. Since vegetables are the lowest calorie food group and are packed with nutrition, it would be difficult to eat too many - if, of course, they contain no added fat or salt.
Eat as much of the following raw vegetables as you want without counting each as an allowance. They are considered "free" because raw, they have less than 20 calories per cup. Those high in fiber are marked with an asterisk (*).
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Celery |
Chinese cabbage |
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Cucumbers |
Endive |
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Escarole |
Green onion* |
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Hot Peppers |
Lettuce |
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Mushrooms |
Radishes |
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Romaine |
Spinach* |
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Zucchini |
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One cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked of each of the following vegetables equals one allowance or serving. High fiber items are marked with an asterisk (*).
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Artichoke (1/2 medium)* |
Asparagus |
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Beans (green, wax, Italian)* |
Bean sprouts |
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Beets* |
Broccoli* |
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Brussels sprouts* |
Cabbage* |
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Carrots* |
Cauliflower |
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Eggplant* |
Greens (collard, mustard, turnip)* |
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Kohlrabi |
Leeks |
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Okra* |
Onions |
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Pea pods |
Peppers |
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Rutabaga |
Spinach |
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Tomato/vegetable juice without |
Tomato (1 large)* |
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Added salt |
Turnips* |
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Water chestnuts |
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Fruits (FR)
Fruit allowances contain about 60 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrate, very little protein (usually less than 1 gram), trace amounts of fat, 0 saturated fat and cholesterol, and 1 milligram of sodium. As you might notice, the fruit group has the lowest content of fat, protein, and sodium per serving, which is part of the reason why fruit is great for people with many different chronic diseases. It is also one of the highest sources of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.
Choose a minimum of 3 servings per day, and frequently from the higher-fiber items. The darker the orange color in a fruit, the higher the beta carotene content, so enjoy plenty of oranges, peaches, apricots, cantaloupes, and mangoes.
Tips on Making the Most of Your Fruits
The following tips will prove helpful in your efforts to maximize the nutrient, antioxidant, and fiber content in fruits:
Choose fresh, frozen, or dried fruit more often than canned fruit or juice, because canned fruits lose significant potassium during the canning process. Canned fruits and juices often have syrup or sugar added, which contain extra calories without nutrition. If you drink juice, make sure it is 100% fruit juice with no sugar added, and do not drink more than 4 ounces per day. Whole fruit is preferable to juice because the whole fruit offers more cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and makes you feel fuller per serving.
Eat the skin on fresh organic fruit, whenever possible, for more fiber and vitamins. As with vegetables, scrub fruits carefully before eating.
Portion Size for 1 Fruit Allowance
The allowances for many fruits are just what you would expect them to be -- 1 piece if it is raw, or 1/2 cup if it is cooked or juiced. Dried fruit might be the only surprise; 1/8 to 1/4 cup of dried fruit is considered one serving because it is so calorically dense. Take care not to overeat dried fruit. Three or more allowances of fruits are recommended per day. Higher-fiber fruits are marked with an asterisk (*).
Fresh, frozen, or canned fruit:
Apple (raw, 2" across)* - 1
Applesauce (unsweetened) - 1/2 cup
Apricots (medium, raw) - 4
Apricots (canned) - 1/2 cup or 4 halves
Banana (9" long) - 1/2
Blackberries (raw)* - 3/4 cup
Blueberries (raw)* - 3/4 cup
Cantaloupe (5" across) - 1/3
Cantaloupe (cubes) - 1 cup
Cherries (large, raw) - 12
Cherries (canned) - 1/2 cup
Figs (raw, 2" across) - 2
Fruit cocktail (canned) - 1/2 cup
Grapefruit (medium) - 1/2
Grapefruit (segments) - 3/4 cup
Grapes (small) - 15
Honeydew melon (medium) - 1/8
Kiwi (large) - 1
Mandarin oranges - 3/4 cup
Mango (small)* - 1/2
Nectarine (2 1/2" across)* - 1
Orange (2 1/2" across)* - 1
Papaya - 1 cup
Peach (2 3/4" across) - 1
Peaches (canned) - 1/2 cup or 2 halves
Pear - 1/2 large or 1 small
Pear (canned) - 1/2 cup or 2 halves
Persimmon (medium, native) - 2
Pineapple (raw) - 3/4 cup
Pineapple (canned) - 1/3 cup
Plum (raw, 2" across) - 2
Pomegranate* - 1/2
Raspberries (raw)* - 1 cup
Strawberries (raw, whole)* - 1 1/2 cup
Tangerine (2 1/2" across)* - 2
Watermelon (cubes) - 1 1/4 cup
Dried fruit:
Apples* - 4 rings
Apricots* - 7 halves
Dates* - 2 1/2 medium
Figs* - 1 1/2
Prunes - 3 medium
Raisins - 2 Tbs.
Fruit juice:
Apple juice/cider - 1/2 cup
Cranberry juice cocktail - 1/3 cup
Grapefruit juice - 1/2 cup
Grape juice - 1/3 cup
Orange juice - 1/2 cup
Pineapple juice - 1/2 cup
Prune juice - 1/3 cup
Protein (P)
One low-fat protein allowance averages 55 calories, 0 carbohydrate, 7 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol (varies widely), and 51 milligrams of sodium. This group includes high protein foods such as legumes, seafood, and, if you are preventing rather than reversing heart disease, poultry and lean meats. If you have heart disease or cholesterol over 150, it is important to remember that red meat (beef, pork, lamb, and veal) is highest in saturated fats; it is best to eliminate it from your diet entirely or consume only on very special occasions. Depending on your need to lose weight and your motivation to reverse atherosclerosis (and its risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol), choose between 1-3 servings from this group every day.
We recommend that you eat animal products and dairy foods only if your health indicators suggest that they will benefit you. For instance, animal products except for fish would not be beneficial if you have heart disease or cholesterol that is greater than 150. You should limit animal products if your fasting blood sugar is more than 100, blood pressure is greater than 110/70, or weight is higher than ideal.
Legumes (beans and peas) are the optimal source of protein, and can be counted in this group or the starch group. They are preferable to meats in that they offer similarly high protein and iron, without the accompanying sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and with lots of cholesterol-lowering, blood sugar-stabilizing soluble fiber, as well as B vitamins and calcium.
Portion Size for 1 Protein Allowance
Protein is the only food group where an allowance is much smaller than the average serving. All meats are cooked portions (4 ounces raw meat = 3 ounces cooked meat). Here are the amounts that equal one allowance of each of the following protein sources:
Beef - 1 ounce (Round is the leanest, use ground round instead of hamburger.)
Dried beans, peas, lentils, cooked; tempeh and tofu - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 1 whole, 3 egg whites, or 1/4 cup egg substitute
Fish - 1 ounce, or 1/4 cup flaked
Lamb - 1 ounce
Meat, any type, lean, diced - 1/4 cup
Pork - 1 ounce (Tenderloin is the lowest in saturated fat)
Poultry - 1 ounce (skinned, white meat)
Roasted soybean nuts, unsalted - 1 1/2 Tbs.
Veal - 1 ounce
Wild game, except duck - 1 ounce
Dairy Products (D)
This group includes only those dairy products that are fat-free with no salt added, and an average allowance contains 90 calories, 12 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams of protein, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, trace amounts of cholesterol, and 150 milligrams of sodium. Select a maximum of 2 servings per day.
Portion Size for 1 Dairy Allowance
Most of the following dairy product allowances are similar to portions that you would typically consume, except for the frozen desserts. Here are the amounts of popular dairy choices that equal one allowance, or serving:
Cottage cheese, 1/2% dry-curd type with less than 65 mg
sodium - 1/2 cup
Dry powdered nonfat milk - 3 1/2 Tbs.
Frozen dessert, no added fat or sodium - 1/2 cup (limit to once a week if weight or triglycerides are a problem, as these can be high in sugar)
Milk, skim - 1 cup (1% milk still gets 22% of its calories from fat)
Plain yogurt, nonfat - 1 cup
Sour cream, nonfat - 7 Tbs.
Sugar-free fruited yogurt, nonfat - 1 cup
Soymilk, nonfat - 1 cup
Fats and Oils (F)
An average allowance from this group contains 45 calories, 0 carbohydrate and protein, 4 1/2 grams of fat, 3/4 gram of saturated fat (although this varies widely), 0 cholesterol (if from a plant source) and 0 sodium. Depending on your need to lose weight and motivation to reverse atherosclerosis, choose from 0 to 4 servings per day from this group.
All fats and oils contain some saturated fat, so use all sparingly and choose those with the least saturated fat.
Portion Size for 1 Fat Allowance
An allowance of fat is 1 teaspoon, though few people actually consume this little when they use it. Although you do not really need any added fat or oil to realize your optimal potential for health, it is included for your enjoyment and to enhance the odds that you can maintain this low of a saturated fat intake long term. The amount of fat our bodies truly need is quite minimal. If you are overweight the need drops even further. Fat is found naturally in many foods in a whole foods diet. Therefore, 0-4 added teaspoons of olive oil are usually quite adequate to meet one's needs. If you like nuts, it is suggested that you use them as condiments, not snacks. The following food portions are equal to one allowance of fat or oil:
Oils:
Canola oil, or rapeseed oil - 1 tsp.
Olive oil - 1 tsp.
Sesame seed oil - 1 tsp.
Soybean oil - 1 tsp.
Walnut oil - 1 tsp.
Nuts, seeds and other high-fat foods:
Almonds - 6 nuts
Almond butter - 1 1/2 tsp.
Avocado - 1/8 medium
Filberts (Hazelnuts) - 1 Tbs.
Hazelnuts - 1 Tbs.
Pumpkin seeds - 1 Tbs.
Sesame seeds - 1 Tbs.
Sunflower seeds - 1 Tbs.
Tahini (sesame seed butter) - 1 1/2 tsp.
Walnuts - 1 Tbs.
Condiments
The following foods can be enjoyed as flavor enhancers or condiments, if you use their no-fat and no-salt-added forms. They contain fewer than 20 calories per portion and are great anywhere you previously would have used salt. You can use as much as you like of any except catsup.
Catsup, no-salt-added type - 1 Tbs.
Herbs and spices
Horseradish, fresh root or full-strength prepared
Lemon
Lime
Mustard, no-salt-added type
Salad dressing, no-fat/no-salt type
Vinegar, no-salt-added type
Wines, except for "cooking wines" or others with salt
