The Dangers of Unhealthy Eating

Level 1

You may not be eating enough

• Your body mass index tells me that you may be underweight for your height.
• You may not have enough body fat. That means you may not be eating enough or you may have some underlying condition.

Food groups

The USDA Food Pyramid is color-coded to help you learn your food groups.

Orange is for grains.

Green is for vegetables.

Red is for fruits.

Yellow is for fats and sweets.

Blue is for dairy.

Purple is for meat.

Eat from all of the food groups every day to help keep your body healthy. Here's what can happen if you don't eat your colors:

1. Grains group: If you're not eating enough whole grains, you may not be getting enough fiber. Not having enough fiber in your diet increases your risk for colon cancer, and you may have trouble digesting your food.

2. Vegetable group: Not eating enough vegetables also leads to a lack of fiber and certain vitamin deficiencies.

3. Fruit group: Fruits are very nutritious and healthy, but don't go overboard by eating too much. Eat several servings daily, but keep track of your portions. Fruits have more calories than vegetables, and they are high in carbs.



4. Fats and sweets: This is the smallest part of the pyramid. Your body needs a certain amount of fat and cholesterol to keep things balanced, but you should keep that to a minimum. Avoiding fried foods will help you lose weight.

5. Milk group: Dairy products keep your bones strong and healthy. If you don't eat dairy products regularly, make sure you're getting calcium through other sources. Also, look at the fat content and choose dairy products that are "low-fat" or "non-fat." This will help you lose weight.

6. Meat, poultry, fish, beans and eggs: Proteins are the building blocks to your body. It's very important to have a balanced diet that includes healthy protein. Trim the fat from meat and don't eat the skin. Doing this will help you lose weight.