Stupid Questions.... Regarding Nutrtion....

Bmajhor

So, this may seem like common sense to pretty much everyone. But I figure I need to ask actual people in leiu of just reading up on the internet. I seem to be finding conflicting information everywhere.....

Here is my question....
What is considered a healthy amount of servings per food group daily for an adult female?
ie: grains, veggies, friuts, dairy, protien?

I am finding it hard to figure out what I need to eat daily to stay healthy, have energy and lose weight.
I am finding anywhere from 2-6 servings "grain" and 3-8 fruit/veggies and 2-4 protein, and it is all VERY confusing.

Part of why I am in the place I am in today is because I was never "taught" how to eat healthy and I am finding that now that I have learned "proper Portions" I just am clueless as to what to eat. I grew up just eating whatever sounded good, whenever the mood struck......

Any and all HELPFUL not hateful responses would be awesome

MostlyWater

maye weight watchers would help you, at least in the beginning

JenMc14

Eat what you like. As long as you're creating a caloric deficit, what you eat doesn't matter. now, before you go stuffing your face with a cheeseburger and fries , you'll feel better andbe more healthy if you're getting a good mix of lean protein, fruits and veggies. Add in some whole grains if you like grains. I am for a 40/30/30 carb/fat/protein ratio, although Idon't always hit it. There's the governemtn recommendations, but there's really no magic number. I think a good general rule to start is to aim for 5-8 servings of fruits/veggies daily. I aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass as well. Don't be afraid of fat, but focus on "good" fats, and limit saturated fats.

Sunny_fit4life

There are differing opinions on how many servings of each food group you need per day. A huge part of learning how to adopt a healthy diet & lifestyle is sifting through all the information and figuring out which seems to make the most sense to you. You will find a lot of strong opinions here on this board, but nobody knows your body like you

I have been finding it helpful to get into my head what a real *portion* or *serving of a particular food group is... for example, learning visual cues such as a deck of cards or the palm of your hand (sans fingers) being about the size of a portion of meat. Here's a link to a thread where people have posted some good visual portion help graphics:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/174780-post-your-best-visual-portion-help-here

I just recently learned that we've moved on in the U.S. from "My Pyramid" to "My Plate" whatever that means. So if you want to take the USDA's word for it, this is what your daily servings should look like:


One alternative I like is this "nutrient dense" food pyramid from Dr. Joel Fuhrman:


You can always start by using MFP's recommendations for how much protein, carbs, & fat you should eat in a day (your "macronutrients") and try to make sure what you eat fills those. Some people here choose to instead eat 40% calories from carbs, 30% calories from protein, and 30% calories from fat, while others will suggest eating 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass (or something like that, correct me if I'm wrong).

Good luck in finding the approach for you. Personally I try to fill half my plate with non-starchy veggies at lunch and dinner and always have fruit with breakfast... it's a start... but you can only start from where you are today and get better each day. You will learn in time and don't have to be perfect right away.

edited to correct photos

Bmajhor

Thanks for all the info. I am finding that the visual aspects work for me....
Just now learning to eat when I am actually hungry instead of because food is soo yummy lol

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I found this on the /fit/ board on 4chan and think it's a good guideline.