Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid: A sample menu

From MayoClinic.com

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The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is a tool designed to help you eat a balanced, nutritious diet while achieving a healthy weight. It illustrates the types and amounts of food you need to eat every day from each of the five represented food groups.

This sample menu shows you how the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid can help you plan daily meals and snacks. Note that if you're hungry, reach for more fruits and vegetables. But make sure your fruit is fresh or is canned in water or juice with the liquid poured off. Limit dried fruit and fruit juice to no more than one to two servings a day because they're high in calories and low in volume. Regular vegetable juice is high in sodium, so you may need or wish to choose a low-sodium variety.

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Illustration of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid

Illustration of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid

The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is a tool to help you lose weight or maintain your weight. The triangular shape shows you where to focus your attention when selecting healthy foods. Eat more ...

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Example of a 1,200-calorie menu

Breakfast

1 medium banana

1 cup bran cereal

1 cup fat-free milk

Herbal tea

Lunch

Tuna salad sandwich made with 1/2 cup water-packed tuna, 1 tablespoon low-calorie mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, chopped celery as desired, leaf lettuce and 2 slices whole-grain toast

2 cups raw baby carrots, jicama and bell pepper strips

1 small apple

Water

Dinner

3 ounces broiled cod sprinkled with juice of 1 lemon wedge and 1 teaspoon drained and rinsed capers

3/4 cup steamed green beans

1/2 cup sliced beets

Salad made with 1 cup bibb, Boston, butterhead or leaf lettuce, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 nectarine

Sparkling water with lemon

Snack (anytime)

1 small pear

 

Nutrient Analysis

Calories

1,191

Cholesterol

92 mg

Protein

85 g

Sodium

1,263 mg

Carbohydrate

196 g

Fiber

36 g

Total fat

15 g

Potassium

2,967 mg

Saturated fat

4 g

Calcium

385 mg

Monounsaturated fat

6 g

 

 

 

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid servings

Vegetables

5

Fruits

3

Carbohydrates

4

Protein and dairy

3

Fats

3

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URL: http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100100337

 

 

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