Here’s a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for food items. These will help make your decisions a great deal easier. There are so many choices in the food market today that selecting the most tasty and nutritious items can be challenging.

• Select items such as cereals and breads which contain ‘whole grains.’
• Choose fresh vegetables first, then frozen, then canned. Any vegetables are better than none at all!
• Select fruit canned in its own juice; avoid ‘heavy syrup.’
• Choose 1% or fat free milk, instead of 2% or whole.
• Look for low-fat cheeses and other dairy products.
• If choosing soy or rice beverages, look for the fortified varieties (25-30% calcium).

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With a busy schedule, it can be difficult enough to remember to eat a mixed diet full of fruits and vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy foods, let alone trying to keep track of what a serving size actually equals. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends 2-3 servings from the dairy group, 2-3 servings from the protein group, 3-5 servings from the vegetable group, 2-4 servings from the fruit group, and 6-11 servings from the bread and grain group.

Here’s what some typical single servings look like:

• 1 cup of chopped fresh leafy greens = The size of 4 lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped vegetables = The size of three ice cubes
• 1 cup of fruit = The size of a baseball
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = The size of a golf ball
• 1 ounce of cheese = The size of a tube of lipstick or four dice
• 1 slice of cheese = The size of a 3.5 inch computer disk