The benchmark for a nutritious meal as decided by the United States is MyPlate. Replacing the food pyramid in 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion new nutrition guide is based on the reccomedations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The breakdown of MyPlate is approximately 30 percent grains, 40 percent vegetables, 20 percent protein and 10 percent fruits, with a seperate smaller circle representing dairy. How much a person should eat of each food group is determined by a number of factors including biological sex and age.
Although it may seem like a silly question for some categories, it's important to know exactly what is counted in a serving for each food group.
Serving size: 1 cup of fruit or fruit juice, or 1/2 cup dried fruit.
Serving size: 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of vegetable juice, or 2 cups of greens.
Serving size: 1 oz of meat, poultry or fish, or 1 egg
Serving size: 1/4 cup cooked beans, 1/2 oz of nuts and seeds, or 1 Tbs of peanut butter
Serving size: 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of cereal, 1/2 cup of rice or pasta. At least half the grains you eat in a week should be whole grains.
Serving size: 1 cup of milk or yogurt or 1.5 oz of natural cheese
First identify your biological sex and your age group, then fill in your weekly servings of each food group accoring to the table above. You will find out where you are doing well in your diet, and in which areas you could improve.