Food group

A group of foods that have similar nutritional properties. There are various classifications, but one commonly used in the USA and UK divides foods into four groups:

• milk group
• meat or protein group
• fruit and vegetable group
• cereal group.

The milk group includes milk itself, cheese, and yoghurt. These are rich sources of calcium, riboflavin, and protein.

The meat group includes all types of meat (lean meat is the highest in nutrient density) and fish, and also nuts and pulses. They are good sources of protein, phosphorus, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂, zinc, magnesium, iron, niacin, and thiamin.

The fruit and vegetable group is the main source of minerals and vitamins. Those which have the highest density and which are especially important sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, folate, iron, and magnesium include apricots, bean sprouts, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, grapefruit, green beans, green peas, leafy greens (e.g. spinach), lettuce, mushrooms (though not strictly a fruit or vegetable), oranges, peaches, strawberries, and tomatoes.

The cereal group includes all grains, such as wheat and rice, and their products. They are rich sources of carbohydrate, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, iron, protein, and magnesium. The best sources are wholegrains (wheat, oats, barley, millet, rice, and rye). These unrefined foods are good sources of dietary fibre.

The food groups can be used as a guide when devising balanced diets. They are sometimes called food exchange groups, because one food can be freely exchanged with any other food belonging to same group. Quantities eaten also need to be comparable. For example, most health experts advise us to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. A serving is half a cup or a typical portion (one medium orange, half a grapefruit, or a wedge of lettuce).

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Food groups refers to a method of classification for the various foods that animals consume in their everyday lives, based on the nutritional properties of these types of foods and their location in a hierarchy of nutrition. Eating certain amounts and proportions of foods from the different categories is recommended by most guides to healthy eating as one of the most important ways to achieve a healthy lifestyle through diet.

There are various systems of dividing foods into groups to develop models of optimum nutrition for humans. Among these systems are the USDA's program titled MyPyramid, the Healthy eating pyramid published by the Harvard School of Public Health, the Canadian Government's Canada's Food Guide, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency's "Balance of Good Health" guide, the Portuguese food wheel,^[1] and others.

1. ^ Marilyn Dahl, RD, LD/N, MBA (December 2005). "The New Dietary Guidelines: Dietitians play a key role in helping to launch MyPyramid". Health Care Food & Nutrition Focus 22 (12). http://www.nursingcenter.com/pdf.asp?AID=612688. 

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