Food Groups & Serving Sizes
There are three main food groups. First, the carbohydrate group, which consists of grains and starches (G&S), fruits, sugars, non-starchy vegetables (NSV) and milk or soy (non-fat milk (NFM), 1% milk, 2% milk, and whole milk (WM)). Second, the meat and vegetarian meat group which includes very lean meats (VLM), lean meats (LM), medium-fat meats (MFM) and high-fat meats (HFM.) Last but not least, is the fat group.
The serving sizes are determined according to their macronutrient composition--amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Therefore, each serving size within each food group has about the same amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and calories. However, within each food group you will find foods with a higher fat content. For example, all types of milk contain about 12 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein but the fat content varies according to the type of milk (1% milk, 2% milk, and whole milk). Also items from the meat and vegetarian meat group contain the same amount of protein, 7 grams per serving, but the fat content varies according to the type of meat (VLM, LM, MFM and HFM).
Macronutrient Table:
