| Food Groups | Enjoy Adequate Amounts Of | Limit | ||
 | Grains | Breads, brown and regular rice, ready-to-eat flaky whole grain cereals, pasta, oats, tortillas, pita bread | Baked goods made with heart-unhealthy fat (See Fats & Oils below) | |
| Vegetables | All fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables | Vegetables topped with cream sauces, whole milk cheese, and butter | |
| Fruits | All fresh, frozen, and canned fruits | Fruits topped with cream | |
| Dairy Foods | Nonfat and low fat milk and yogurt, reduced and low fat cheeses, and light ice cream | Whole milk, 2 percent milk, whole milk cheeses, and full fat ice cream | |
| Meats & Meat Alternatives | Lean cuts of meats, such as tenderloin, sirloin, round, and lean or extra lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken, low fat luncheon meats and hot dogs, dried peas and beans, skinless poultry, fish, beans, tofu, peanut butter, nuts, egg whites, and egg substitutes (Keep meat, poultry, and fish to about six ounces daily) | Fatty cuts of meat such as untrimmed meats, hot dogs, sausages, and bacon, excessive egg yolks*, organ meats (liver), poultry with skin, and fatty luncheon meats, such as bologna and salami | |
| Fats and Oils | Soft margarine, olive, soybean, canola, corn, peanut, sunflower, and sesame oils | Whole milk, yogurt, and cheeses, full fat ice cream, cream |
*Since an egg yolk contains over 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol, these need to be balanced within your diet in order to harness your daily cholesterol intake. Egg whites are free of dietary cholesterol.
- By Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, LDN. Blake is a nutrition professor at Boston University and a nationally known writer, lecturer and nutrition expert.
