Food group

Grains, the largest food group in many nutrition

guides, includes oats, barley and bread. Cookies,
however, are categorized as sugar.
Vegetables, the second largest food group in
many nutrition guides, come in a wide variety of
shapes, colors and sizes.

A food group is a collection of foods

that share similar nutritional properties
or biological classifications. Nutrition
guides typically divide foods into food
groups and recommend daily servings
of each group for a healthy diet. In the
United States for instance, USDA has
described food as being in from 4 to 11
different groups.[1]
The most common food
groups
Dairy, also called milk products and
sometimes categorized with milk
alternatives or meat, is typically a
smaller category in nutrition
guides,[2][3][4] if present at all, and is
sometimes listed apart from other
food groups.[2][3] Examples of dairy
products include milk, butter, ghee,
yogurt, cheese, cream and ice cream.
The categorization of dairy as a food
group with recommended daily
servings has been criticized by, for
example, the Harvard School of
Public Health who point out that
"research has shown little benefit,
and considerable potential for harm,
of such high dairy intakes. Moderate
consumption of milk or other dairy
products—one to two servings a day
—is fine, and likely has some benefits
for children. But it’s not essential for
adults, for a host of reasons."[5]
Fruits, sometimes categorized with
vegetables, include apples, oranges,
bananas, berries and lemons. Fruits
contain carbohydrates, mostly in the
form of sugar as well as important
vitamins and minerals.
Grains, beans and legumes,
sometimes categorized as cereals, is
often the largest category in nutrition
guides.[2][3][4] Examples include
wheat, rice, oats, barley, bread and
pasta. An example of beans would
be baked beans and soy beans, while
an example of legumes would be
lentils and chickpeas. Grains are a
good source of starch and are often
categorized with other starchy food
such as potatoes.
Meat, sometimes labelled protein
and occasionally inclusive of
legumes and beans, eggs, meat
analogues and/or dairy, is typically a
medium- to smaller-sized category in
nutrition guides.[2][3][4] Examples
include chicken, fish, turkey, pork and
beef.
Confections, also called sugary
foods and sometimes categorized
with fats and oils, is typically a very
small category in nutrition guides, if
present at all, and is sometimes
listed apart from other food
groups.[2][3] Examples include candy,
soft drinks, and chocolate.
Vegetables, sometimes categorized
with fruit and occasionally inclusive
of legumes, is typically a large
category second only to grains, or
sometimes equal or superior to
grains, in nutrition guides.[2][3][4]
Examples include spinach, carrots,
onions, and broccoli.
Water is treated in very different
ways by different food guides. Some
exclude the category,[4] others list it
separately from other food groups,[2]
and yet others make it the center[6] or
foundation[7] of the guide. Water is
sometimes categorized with tea, fruit
 juice, vegetable juice and even
soup,[8] and is typically
recommended in plentiful amounts.

Uncommon food groups

The number of "common" food groups
varies depending on who is defining
them. Canada's Food Guide, which has
been in continual publication since
1942 and is the second most requested
government document (after the
income tax form) in Canada,
recognizes only four official food
groups, listing the remainder of foods
as "another". Some of these "others"
include:

Alcohol is listed apart from other

food groups and recommended only
for certain people in moderation by
Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid
and the University of Michigan's
Healing Foods Pyramid,[9][7] while
Italy's food pyramid includes a half-
serving of wine and beer.[10]

See also
Table of food nutrients
Human nutritionhi

References
1. Nestle, Marion (2013) [2002]. Food
Politics: How the Food Industry
Influences Nutrition and Health.
University of California Press.
pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-0-520-27596-
6.
2. "The Australian Guide to Healthy
Eating - Enjoy a Variety of Foods
Every Day" . Australian
Government Department of Health
and Ageing. Archived from the
original on March 19, 2011.
Retrieved 3 June 2011.
3. "The eatwell plate" . National
 Health Service. Retrieved 3 June
2011.
4. "USDA's MyPlate" . United States
Department of Agriculture.
Retrieved 2 June 2011.
5. "Healthy Eating Plate & Healthy
Eating Pyramid" . 18 September
2012.
6. "Eine runde Sache: Der neue DGE-
Ernährungskreis" . Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Ernährung (in
German). Retrieved 11 June 2011.
7. "Healing Foods Pyramid™ 2010" .
University of Michigan Health
 System. Archived from the
original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved
3 June 2011.
8. "Recommendations for healthy,
tasty eating and drinking for
adults" (PDF). Swiss Society for
Nutrition. Archived from the
original (PDF) on 2 November
2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
9. "Healthy Eating Pyramid" . Harvard
School of Public Health. Retrieved
23 August 2016.
10. "Piramide Alimentare Italiana" .
Istituto di Scienza
 dell'Alimentazione (in Italian).
Università di Roma. Retrieved
11 June 2011.

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