The following table describes the number of servings needed for a healthy adult based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Vegetables:

• Eat more dark green vegetables.
• Eat more orange vegetables.
• Eat more dry beans and peas.

Fruit:

• Eat a variety of fruit.
• Choose fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit.
• Go easy on fruit juices.

Milk:

• Go low-fat or fat-free.
• If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources.

Grains:

• Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain bread, cereal, crackers, rice or pasta every day.
• Look for the word "whole" before the grain name on the list of ingredients.

Nutrient Requirements

Vitamins and minerals work in conjunction with other nutrients and are essential to facilitate all bodily functions. Vitamins and minerals aid in the digestion of nutrients and assist with protein synthesis to building healthy bones. Calcium and potassium are abundant in dairy products. Fluid milk and some other dairy products are fortified with vitamin D.

Protein
The current U.S. recommendation according to the Institute of Medicine is that adults should consume between ten and 35 percent of their calories from protein. These recommendations were established with the goal of preventing deficiency, but newer research indicates that many adults may benefit from eating more than the minimum requirement. These findings are presented May 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition³ describing the conclusions of a Protein Summit, which brought together the world’s leading scientists in protein research. The summit participants agreed that many adults, particularly those who are overweight or obese and older Americans may benefit from eating up to 35 percent of their calories from protein. The summit's conclusions complement examination of evidence by the International Dietary Energy Consultancy Group (IDECG), World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) panel, which has determined that there is either a benefit or no harm with protein intakes three to four times the minimum requirement. This means that adults can safely eat up to 35 percent of their total calories as protein, and there may be some health benefits in doing so. Since most Americans are consuming protein in the lower end of the recommended range (about 13-16 percent), there is room for adding more high-quality protein to their diets while still being in the recommended range outlined as safe.⁴

Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant of the minerals in the human body and 99% of it is contained in bones and teeth. Calcium has many functions in the body:

• Helps bones remain strong by slowing the rate of bone loss with age
• Helps with muscle contraction
• Plays a role in normal nerve function
• Helps with blood clotting ⁵

A diet rich in calcium is important throughout the lifecycle. Fracture incidence among children has increased by one-third in boys and one-half in girls compared to a generation ago.⁶ A diet high in calcium, especially during the adolescent years, helps build bone mass to prevent osteoporosis later in life, as well as reducing fracture risk now and later. It is recommended that school-age children consume between 800 -1,300 mg of calcium per day (see table below). To achieve this goal, MyPyramid recommends that younger children consume 2 cups of milk group foods and children over 9 years of age need three cups of from the milk group per day. Seven out of 10 boys and 9 out of 10 girls are currently not consuming adequate dietary calcium.⁷

The best food sources of calcium are dairy products, especially milk, cheese and yogurt. Seafood such as salmon and sardines (eaten with the bones) and vegetables such as broccoli and kale have good amounts of calcium. Some substances enhance or inhibit absorption of calcium into the blood. Vitamin D enhances absorption, as does lactose (milk sugar), other sugars, and protein. To determine your current calcium consumption from food choices, try the Calcium Quiz.

Potassium
Potassium is another mineral that is naturally abundant in dairy products and is under-consumed by Americans. It works in the body to:

• Help regulate fluids and mineral balance in and out of body cells
• Helps maintain normal blood pressure
• Helps transmit nerve impulses or signals
• Helps muscle contraction

The suggested potassium intake for adults is 4700 mg/day. See table below for recommendations for all age groups.

The best sources of potassium include fruits (bananas, cantaloupe and oranges), milk, leafy green vegetables, legumes, meat and fish. Less-processed foods tend to have more potassium.

Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral since it serves as a part of over three hundred body enzymes. It works in the body to:

• Regulate many types of bodily functions such as making body protein and muscle contractions
• Helps maintain body cells in nerves and muscles, and signals muscles to contract and relax.
• Serves as a component of bones.

The RDA for teenage boys is 410 mg daily to age 18; for teenage girls, 360 mg daily. The RDA for adult males is 400 mg daily through age 30, then 420 mg daily after that. For females the recommendation is 310 mg daily through as 30 and 320 mg after age 30. Neither pregnancy nor breast feeding increases the need for magnesium.

Excellent sources of magnesium include spinach, peanut butter, pecans, black-eyed peas and lima beans, ranging from 80 – 40 mg magnesium per serving. Milk and dairy foods are moderate sources of magnesium. An eight-ounce glass of milk contains 27 mg magnesium and an eight-ounce carton of yogurt is 30 – 40 mg magnesium depending on fat content. For specific nutrient values, check the Nutrients in Dairy Products page found on this website.

Vitamin D
Prior to the fortification of milk products with vitamin D, rickets was a major public health problem. In the United States, milk has been fortified with 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D per quart since the 1930s, leading to a dramatic decline in the number of rickets cases.

The recommended intake is based on age and is listed in the table below. Recent research has found many additional health benefits of vitamin D, including reduced risk of some cancers, immune function and cognitive performance. Some researchers would like to see the recommendation increased up to 2,000 IU per day, especially in older people and other high-risk groups. When the committee meets again to reconsider the dietary recommendation, it will likely be increased.

The best dietary sources of vitamin D are from animal sources such as fortified milk and orange juice. It is also found naturally in eggs and some fish (salmon, tuna and sardines)⁸. Vitamin D can also be made in the skin with 10 – 15 minutes exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun. The number of cases of nutritional rickets has been on the rise in recent years. The current upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU a day, but this may increase if the recommendations are increased. For more information about vitamin D, check out Vitamin D: What You Should Know About the Sunshine Vitamin.

Recommended nutrient intakes per day based on age:

ND= Not determinable due to lack of data of adverse effects in this age group and concern with regards to lack of ability to handle excess amounts. Source of intake should be from food only to prevent high levels.⁹

MyPyramid

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the basis for federal nutrition policy. The MyPyramid Food Guidance System provides food-based guidance to help implement the recommendations of the Guidelines. MyPyramid was based on both the Dietary Guidelines and the Dietary Reference Intakes from the National Academy of Sciences, while taking into account current consumption patterns of Americans.

MyPyramid translates the Dietary Guidelines into a total diet that meets nutrient needs from food sources and aims to moderate or limit dietary components often consumed in excess. MyPyramid provides web-based interactive and print materials for consumers.

The process for developing MyPyramid is outlined in a number of articles published as a supplement to the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior in November/December 2006.²

The handout Use MyPyramid to Make Healthy Choices provides practical suggestions for adults to meet these guidelines and is available in both English and Spanish.

MyPyramid For Kids is a handout that describes these guidelines to children. Color MyPyramid coloring worksheet teaches the food groups to young children and MyPyramid Match Game teaches to same principles in a fun, interactive online game.