Are your meals at the end of the month as good as they are at the beginning? Or do your food dollars run out before the month is over? Learning to plan your menus and shop only for what you need will help you have good food throughout the month. You will also save both money and time!

• The six types of nutrients in foods and why they are important in the body.
• The six groups in the MyPyramid and why you should eat foods from each one.
• Tips to help you plan a healthy meal.

A sample seven-day menu also has been included, along with a shopping list, recipes for most foods on the menu 
and a list of common serving sizes for different foods.

Food is made of six important nutrients.

Carbohydrate, protein and fat -- called macronutrients. (Macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts.)
Carbohydrates give you energy and are especially important for fueling your brain. Carbohydrates are found in most types of foods, except meats and pure fats (butter, oil). About half of your daily diet should come from carbohydrate.

Vitamins & minerals -- called micronutrients. (Micronutrients are nutrients needed in smaller amounts.)
Vitamins and minerals (the micronutrients) are found in all types of foods. Fruits and vegetables are very good sources. Vitamins and minerals also help keep your body functioning. Some important vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. Important minerals include calcium, iron and potassium. Sodium is a mineral you should eat in moderation – not too much each day! This is another nutrient to read about on the Nutrition Facts label because sodium is found in many different foods, especially processed meat, canned foods (including vegetables and soups) and frozen dinners.

Water -- Yes, water is a drink, but it is also in most foods. Your body needs water to live, so it is considered a nutrient. Fruit is a good example of a food that has lots of water in it. Water is what makes the fruit so juicy. The juicier a food is, the more water it contains.

Protein-- found mostly in meats and dairy products. Protein is used to build your body parts. Cells, organs, tissues and muscles – all are made with protein. Most Americans have no problem getting their daily protein requirement, which is about 15 %-20 % of your daily diet.

Fats-- are not all bad! You need some fat to keep your body functioning. Fat helps your body use vitamins and minerals (the micronutrients) and provides you with extra energy. If a person does not use the extra energy, the body can store it as fat. You should eat fat in moderation – 30% or less of your total calories each day should come from fat. Many foods contain fat, so read the Nutrition Facts labels to see what you're getting!

Remember when everyone used the four food groups to plan a balanced diet? Now we use MyPyramid to help people follow a balanced diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

MyPyramid is a tool to help us get all the nutrients we need for good health. You can use  MyPyramid as a basis for planning healthy meals. Use more of the whole, unrefined foods in each group to plan your meals.

 MyPyramid is divided into six groups:

1. Grain Group

2. Vegetable Group

3. Fruit Group

4. Milk Group

5. Meat and Beans Group

6. Oils

Let's Review Each Group

The Grains Group This is the largest section of the pyramid -- so these foods should make up the largest part of your daily diet. It is suggested that you should eat between six to 11 servings of bread and grain products each day,depending on your energy requirements. To meat your grain requirements,  you should have one to three servings of foods from this group with each meal or snack.

This may sound like a lot of bread, but it is easy to get six to 11 servings during the day. A bread or grain serving is:

• One slice of bread
• Half of a bun or bagel
• One-half cup of cooked cereal
• Three-fourths cup of dry cereal
• One-half cup of cooked noodles or rice

If you were to eat a sandwich for lunch, you would be eating two servings from the bread and grain group.

Vegetables are the next largest group on MyPyramid. You should eat from 2 to 2.5 cups of vegetables each day on a 2,000-calorie diet. This may be harder to do, especially for kids who do not like many vegetables, but they provide lots of good nutrients, so try to eat some each day.

A typical serving size is one-half cup of cooked vegetable or one cup of raw vegetable. Purchasing seasonal vegetables (and fruits) from the produce market can be a way to stretch your food dollars.

Fruits are in a separate category from vegetables in MyPyramid, and they make up the third largest group. It is recommended that you eat between two to two and a half cups of fruit each day to get all the important nutrients. A medium-size piece of fresh fruit provides one equivalent. So does one-half cup of canned fruit or half-cup of juice.

A person who drank some juice with breakfast, had an apple at lunch and one-half cup of peach slices with yogurt for a snack would meet all fruit requirements for the day.

Milk Group  Milk and dairy foods are important because they provide calcium, protein and other nutrients. Foods such as milk, ice cream, yogurt and cheese are included in this group.

Because some milk and dairy foods tend to be high in fat, you should try to eat the lower-fat varieties, such as 1% or skim milk, non-fat or low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheese. You should get two to three cups or its equivalent each day. Most people don't eat enough foods from the dairy group, our most important source of calcium. If you're pregnant or nursing, be sure to get three or more cups of this group daily. An equivalent from this group is one cup of milk or yogurt or one and one-half ounces of cheese.

Meat and Beans Group Foods in this category are not all meats! Beans, nuts, eggs and peanut butter are called meat alternates because they contain high amounts of protein, like meats do.

It is recommended that we eat 7 to 8 equivalents daily. The equvalents are equal to:

• One ounce of cooked meat, poultry or fish
• One eggs
• One tablespoons of peanut butter
• One-fourth cup of cooked dry beans

This is also a food group that contains fat, so you should try to find lower-fat choices, such as beans, lean meats, skinless chicken or fish (including water-packed tuna fish).

Oils make up the smallest part! It is recommended that we get about 6 tablespoons of vegetable oils daily. Soft margarine, vegetable oils, mayonnaise and salad dressings all fall into this group, but you should also remember that there is fat, oil and or sugar in most meats, dairy foods and processed or prepackaged foods (such as muffins and cookies). Pay attention to what kinds of foods you eat and keep track of the amount of these nutrients that you are consuming.

1. Read the Nutrition Facts labels on food products to determine how much of each nutrient is in the food. You can find out how many calories, fat grams, milligrams of sodium and amounts of other nutrients are in the food you are about to eat.

The label also tells you what type of ingredients the product is made of. Juice is a good example: if you were looking for orange juice and Juice A had orange juice as its first ingredient and Juice B had water and high fructose corn syrup as its first ingredients, you would know that Juice A had a lot more real fruit juice than Juice B. Juice B would be more of an orange drink than an orange juice. Because real juice has more vitamins and minerals, this would be the better choice. By law, Juice B could not be labeled orange juice. Use the labels to help you make the most nutritious selections.

2. Find the Sell by … and Best by … dates on food products, especially meat, dairy and bread products. This tells you when to purchase them so that you buy the freshest foods available. Fresher foods keep longer in the refrigerator and pantry.

3. Read the front of the food label to find out the weight of the food. This tells you how much food you get in the package. For example, if you were looking for noodles and saw two different packages, you could look at the weight to find out which package contained more noodles.

4. Plan your meals for the week (or two weeks if possible), make a shopping list and buy only what you need. This will save both time and money. You will know what you need at the grocery store, so you won't buy foods you don't need. You will also know what to prepare and won't have to figure out what's for dinner every night.

Take advantage of specials or coupons on foods you know you will need. Prepare some foods early and freeze or refrigerate them until time to eat.

5. Plan meals with foods that vary in shape, color, texture, temperature and flavor. This produces a plate that is pleasing to both the eye and the palate. For example, if you serve spaghetti and meat sauce, a cool crisp salad is a good complement, along with some French bread. Or, vegetable soup served with a cheese sandwich and an apple would be another good combination of texture, temperature and flavor.

6. To avoid waste, serve foods that most of your family enjoys. When introducing new foods or less popular items, serve them with more acceptable choices and encourage your family to taste some of each food offered.

7. When trying to provide the suggested number of servings of each group, remember that combination foods can contribute servings of several different groups.

For example, a serving of spaghetti with meat sauce will provide about one bread and grain serving, one meat serving and one vegetable serving. A couple of slices of pizza may equal two bread and grain servings, one to two milk and dairy servings, one to two meat servings and one-half to three-fourths cup of vegetables. (Remember: this food also gives you some extra fat!)

Even some desserts, such as fruit cobbler, can contribute bread, fruit or milk and dairy servings.

8. Store dry goods, such as flour, cornmeal, rice, grits and oatmeal, in air-tight packages in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life. Keeping these products cool decreases the chance for weevils or other pests to infest them.

1. Practice planning a three-day menu for your family that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. Make sure that the menu for each whole day includes at least two servings of meat, two servings of dairy foods, two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables and six servings of breads and grains.

Make a shopping list, purchase the foods on your list and actually use the menus for three days in a row. Is it easier to prepare meals when you know what you'll serve and have all the ingredients on hand?

2. Practice using correct serving sizes when you eat. Measure your portions using measuring cups or weighing food if you have a scale so that you will know what a portion should look like. Are these the portion sizes you normally eat?

If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, this might help you!

3. Explain how MyPyramid works to someone else. This will help you understand it even better.

4. Use the Thrifty Food Plan to plan nutritious meals within a modest budget. The lesson "Managing Your Food Dollar" includes more information on the Thrifty Food Plan, 1999.

www.familyfoodzone.com

www.got-milk.com

www.mealsforyou.com/mfy/ Allows you to plan a menu, provides all the recipes and even gives you a shopping list that corresponds to a store near you. Also do a nutrient analysis of the meal, so you'll know how much fat, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals you're getting.

Breads and Grains

• One slice of bread
• One-half hamburger or hot dog bun, bagel, English muffin
• One roll, muffin or biscuit
• Four to six crackers
• One-half cup cooked cereal
• One ounce (three-fourths to one cup) ready–to–eat cereal

Vegetables

• One-half cup cooked vegetables
• One cup green leafy vegetables
• One-half cup raw chopped vegetables
• One-half cup vegetable juice

Fruits

• One medium piece of fruit (apple, banana, orange)
• One-half cup berries
• One-half cup canned, chopped or cooked fruit
• One-half cup fruit juice
• One-fourth cup dry fruit (raisins)

Dairy

• One cup milk
• Eight ounces yogurt
• One and one-half ounces cheese

Meats or Meat Alternates

• One ounce meat, poultry or fish (without skin)
• One egg
• One-fourth cup cooked dry beans
• One tablespoon of peanut butter

Food is made of six different nutrients. Carbohydrate, protein and fat are called macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Water is also a nutrient, in a class by itself. MyPyramid can help you plan healthy meals for you and your family. MyPyramid is made up of six food groups. You should eat foods from each group every day.

The key to healthy eating is balance, variety and moderation: Eat a balanced meal with a variety of foods, but remember to eat in moderation (not too much fat and sugar!).

Planning your menus ahead of time and shopping for what you need can save you both money and time, while helping to stretch your food dollar.