Food Groups

Basic Food Groups and what counts as a serving

Fats, Oil, Sweets (Eat these foods sparingly)
The body needs, and can utilize, some fats and oils, but keep your daily amount to about 20 percent or less.  Foods high in sugar such as candy, cakes, and cookies are simple carbohydrates and are a quick source of energy - but lack nutrients.  Foods ending in "ose", such as sucrose, maltose, dextrose, and fructose, are simple sugars; they only add calories.
Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, Cheese (2-3 servings daily) Milk - (1cup), Yogurt (1 cup), Cheese (1 oz. Natural cheese or about 1-1/2 oz. process cheese)  Milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources for your daily calcium and potassium requirements.
Proteins: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts (2-3 servings daily) Meat, poultry or fish - (2-3 oz., cooked), dry beans (1 cup, cooked), Nuts - (about 2 oz. or 2 Tbsp.) Peanut butter can count as 1 oz. of lean meat), eggs - (1 egg) The meat and protein section supplies your body with important protein, iron, and zinc.  The dairy and protein sections should be kept at around 30 percent of your daily intake.
Vegetables: (3-5 servings daily) - You get vitamins and minerals from RAW, fresh fruits and vegetable groups.  Vegetables give you carbohydrates, which your body uses for energy.  You also get fiber, which keeps the digestive system working efficiently.  Vegetables - leafy vegetables (1 cup, raw), cooked vegetables (1/2 cup) vegetable juice (3/4 cup)
Fruit:  (2-4 servings daily) Most fruits vary in carbohydrate content.  Peristalsis is stimulated by by the organic acids and the bulk provided by the cellulose.  Fruit - one medium apple, banana, or orange; cooked, canned fruit (1/2 cup), fruit juice (3/4 cup) 
Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta:  (6-11 servings daily) The bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group is the major source of energy for the body.  These foods are mostly complex carbohydrates.  They also provide the body with other nutrients.  Bread (one slice), cereal (1oz., ready to eat), crackers (2 pieces), cereal, rice, or pasta (2 Tbsp. or cooked 1/2 cup), potato (1 medium).  The number of servings from each group depends on how many calories you are allowed to consume each day, as well as your activity level, age, and body size.

Terms for Calorie Content of Foods:
1.  "Reduced calorie," sometimes stated as "low calorie," means 1/3 fewer calories.
2.  "No calories," or "calorie-free," contains less than five calories per serving.

Terms for Sugar-Free:
1.  "Sugar-free," contains less than five calories per serving.
2.  "Reduced sugar" contains at least 25 percent less sugar per serving than the original food product.

Dating Terminology on Food Labels:
There isn't any standard terminology for dating food products.  The government only requires dating on some foods, including infant formulas and some baby foods.  The requirements differ with each state.  Some of the manufactures print this information on their products by choice.  They are only indicators of freshness.

Below is a guide to terms used the most often:
1.  "Sell by" tells the store how long to display the product.  The consumer can choose to buy the product after that date if they want.
2.  "Best if used by," or "Best if used before," tells how long the product will retain the best taste or quality.
3.  "Use by," is the last date recommended for best quality.