Balance food choices with lifestyle Published April 6, 2006 60th Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron and 60th Medical Operations Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Choosing the right balance of foods helps you get the right combination of nutrients. The food guide pyramid is a tool designed to help you make food choices that are consistent with the dietary guidelines for Americans. Using the pyramid as a guide allows you to eat a variety of foods daily so that you can get the nutrients you need. The key to the pyramid is to understand proper portion sizes. Knowing the size of a serving can help you determine your portions — the amount of a particular food you eat at a given time. Here are a few tips to help you size up your plate and better gauge your portions: •3 ounces of cooked meat is the size of a deck of cards •A medium piece of fruit is the size of a baseball •A medium bagel is the size of a hockey puck •1 ounce of cheese is the size of four die •A small baked potato is the size of a computer mouse •2 tablespoons of peanut butter is the size of a golf ball •1 cup of raw vegetables, yogurt and fruit is the size of an average woman’s hand. The food guide pyramid can help you build a healthy eating plan by showing proper portion sizes that can also monitor caloric intake. Balance your food choices from the pyramid with your physical activities to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. For more information about National Nutrition Month, visit www.eatright.org or contact the David Grant USAF Medical Center’s Nutritional Medicine Flight at 423-3696 or the Population Health clinic at 423-7867.