Beef

Beef Strip Steak — 5 ounces cooked weight
Protein Foods Group: counts as 5 ounce equivalents of protein foods

What Foods Are in the Protein Foods Group?

All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group. For more information on beans and peas, see Beans and Peas Are Unique Foods.

Select a variety of protein foods to improve nutrient intake and health benefits, including at least 8 ounces of cooked seafood per week. Young children need less, depending on their age and calorie needs. The advice to consume seafood does not apply to vegetarians. Vegetarian options in the Protein Foods Group include beans and peas, processed soy products, and nuts and seeds. Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commonly eaten protein foods

•         Meats*

  
  

  Lean cuts of:

  • beef
  • ham
  • lamb
  • pork
  • veal
  
  

  Game Meats

  • bison
  • rabbit
  • venison
  
  

  Lean Ground Meats

  • beef
  • pork
  • lamb
  
             

       Organ Meats

  • liver
  • giblets

        Poultry

• chicken
• duck
• goose
• turkey
• ground chicken and turkey

Eggs*

• chicken eggs
• duck eggs

Beans and Peas

• bean burgers
• black beans
• black-eyed peas
• chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• falafel
• kidney beans
• lentils
• lima beans (mature)
• navy beans
• pinto beans
• soy beans
• split peas
• white beans

Processed Soy Products

• tofu (bean curd made from soybeans)
• veggie burgers
• tempeh
• texturized vegetable protein (TVP)

• Nuts and Seeds*

  • almonds
  • cashews
  • hazelnuts (filberts)
  • mixed nuts
  • peanuts
  • peanut butter
  • pecans
  • pistachios
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • walnuts

  Seafood*

  
  

  Finfish such as:

  • catfish
  • cod
  • flounder
  • haddock
  • halibut
  • herring
  • mackerel
  • pollock
  • porgy
  • salmon
  • sea bass
  • snapper
  • swordfish
  • trout
  • tuna
  
  

  Shellfish such as:

  • clams
  • crab
  • crayfish
  • lobster
  • mussels
  • octopus
  • oysters
  • scallops
  • squid (calamari)
  • shrimp
  
  

  Canned fish such as:

  • anchovies
  • clams
  • tuna
  • sardines

      Selection Tips

• Choose lean or low-fat meat and poultry. If higher fat choices are made, such as regular ground beef (75 to 80% lean) or chicken with skin, the fat counts against your maximum limit for empty calories (calories from solid fats or added sugars).
• If solid fat is added in cooking, such as frying chicken in shortening or frying eggs in butter or stick margarine, this also counts against your maximum limit for empty calories (calories from solid fats and added sugars).
• Select some seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, sardines, anchovies, herring, Pacific oysters, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel.
• Processed meats such as ham, sausage, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake. Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as “self-basting” or “contains up to __% of __”, which mean that a sodium-containing solution has been added to the product.
• Choose unsalted nuts and seeds to keep sodium intake low.

What Foods Are Included in the Dairy Group?

All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Most Dairy Group choices should be fat-free or low-fat. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not. Calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage) is also part of the Dairy Group.

Key Consumer Message

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

FAT FREE
MILK

Selection Tips

• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you choose milk or yogurt that is not fat-free, or cheese that is not low-fat, the fat in the product counts against your maximum limit for "empty calories" (calories from solid fats and added sugars).
• If sweetened milk products are chosen (flavored milk, yogurt, drinkable yogurt, desserts), the added sugars also count against your maximum limit for "empty calories" (calories from solid fats and added sugars).
• For those who are lactose intolerant, smaller portions (such as 4 fluid ounces of milk) may be well tolerated. Lactose-free and lower-lactose products are available. These include lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk, yogurt, and cheese, and calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage). Also, enzyme preparations can be added to milk to lower the lactose content. Calcium-fortified foods and beverages such as cereals, orange juice, or rice or almond beverages may provide calcium, but may not provide the other nutrients found in dairy products.

Commonly eaten dairy products

• • Milk*
    all fluid milk:

    • fat-free (skim)
    • low fat (1%)
    • reduced fat (2%)
    • whole milk
    • flavored milks:
      • chocolate
      • strawberry
    • lactose-reduced milks
    • lactose-free milks

  • Milk-based desserts*

    • puddings
    • ice milk
    • frozen yogurt
    • ice cream

  • Calcium-fortified soymilk
    (soy beverage)

• • Cheese*

    • hard natural cheeses:
      • cheddar
      • mozzarella
      • Swiss
      • Parmesan
    • soft cheeses:
      • ricotta
      • cottage cheese
    • processed cheeses:
      • American

  • Yogurt*
    all yogurt:

    • fat-free
    • low fat
    • reduced fat
    • whole milk yogurt