One serving is

• 1 cup milk or yogurt
• 1-1/2 ounces natural cheese (e.g. Cheddar)
• 2 ounces of processed cheese (e.g. American)

Foods in the Milk Group provide protein, some vitamins and minerals, and are a major source of calcium. Dairy foods containing fat also provide saturated fat and cholesterol, known to contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.

• Substitute a cup of calcium-enriched soymilk for a cup of milk (to be equivalent to cow's milk, one cup soymilk should provide about 290-300 milligrams or 30% of your recommended daily intake of calcium)
• Try soy cheese made from calcium-enriched soymilk
• Substitute one cup calcium-enriched soy yogurt for regular yogurt (to be equivalent to dairy yogurt, one cup soy yogurt should provide about 300-500 milligrams or 30-50% of your recommended daily intake of calcium)

These soyfoods contain no cholesterol and are lower in saturated fat than dairy products with similar fat content. Soymilk also contains iron, a mineral almost totally missing from cow's milk.

References:
1. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The Food Guide Pyramid.
Home and Garden Bulletin No. 252, 1996.

3. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Food Composition Tables.

One serving equals:

• 2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
• 1 cup cooked dry beans (equals 2 ounces of lean meat)
• 1/2 cup tofu (equals 1 ounce of lean meat, or about 1/2 to 1/3 serving)
• 5-ounce "soyburger" (counts as 2 ounces of lean meat)
• 1 egg (counts as 1 ounce of lean meat, or about 1/2 to 1/3 serving)*
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (counts as 1 ounce of meat, or about 1/2 to 1/3 serving)
• 1/3 cup of nuts (counts as 1 ounce of meat, or about 1/2 to 1/3 serving)

*Keep in mind: 1 extra large egg provides over 245 milligrams of cholesterol

Notice the USDA even includes some soyfoods in the list.

Meat, fish and poultry, eggs, and dried beans-including soybeans-provide protein, B-complex vitamins, plus the minerals iron and zinc.

• Use soybeans, tofu, and soy "burgers" as meat alternatives
• Substitute soynut butter for peanut butter (both provide about the same amount of protein, but soynut butter is 33% lower in fat)
• Use roasted soynuts instead of nuts-soynuts provide 66% more protein and more than 55% less fat than peanuts

References:
3. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Food Composition Tables.

• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup other vegetables, either cooked or raw
• 3/4 cup vegetable juice

Vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals. Helpful tips:

• For foods high in vitamin A, try orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin), tomatoes, and dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, turnip greens, collards)
• For foods high in vitamin C, try oranges, broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, and leafy greens (romaine lettuce, turnip greens, and spinach)
• For the B-complex vitamin folate, try cooked dry beans and peas, avocados and dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, and romaine lettuce)

• Use 1/2 cup cooked green vegetable soybeans or 1/2 cup cooked dry soybeans as a vegetable serving (both good sources of folate)

• 1 medium piece of fresh fruit (e.g. an apple, banana, orange, or pear)
• 1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
• 3/4 cup fruit juice

Fruit provides vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals.

Helpful tips

• For foods high in vitamin A, eat orange fruits like cantaloupe, mango, apricots
• For foods high in vitamin C, try citrus fruits and juices, kiwi fruit, strawberries, and cantaloupe
• Folate is present in oranges and orange juice

References
1. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The Food Guide Pyramid.
Home and Garden Bulletin No. 252, 1996.

2. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Dietary Guidelines for Americans
5th edition. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232, 2000.

One serving is

• 1 slice of bread
• About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Grains Group foods provide: vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and phytochemicals - all of which help promote good health.

• Substitute 1/2 cup cooked soy grits for cooked cereal at breakfast or rice at dinner
• Replace up to 1/4 of the wheat flour in muffins, pancakes, cornbread, and other quick breads with soy flour to increase protein-power and add rich, nutty flavor
• Replace 2 tablespoons of wheat flour in every cup with soy flour when you make yeast-leavened breads

References:
1. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The Food Guide Pyramid.
Home and Garden Bulletin No. 252, 1996.

Although fat is higher in calories than carbohydrates and protein, you need some in your diet. For example, fat helps transport the fat soluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K.

When you use oil, consider choosing soybean oil - it's high in polyunsaturated fat and low in undesirable saturated fat.