Good fitness and nutrition are key aspects not only in appearance but in living long, healthy lives.  One may look fabulous, both fit and healthy, while being just as unhealthy as an obese person.  The exact opposite is true, also.  A person may be a little overweight but have a healthy heart and diet.  My case and point:  You cannot judge a person's health just by looking at them.  The only way to find out if one is eating healthy and getting the proper amounts and types of exercise is by looking at their diet and activity level.

It is important to first start with a good eating plan.  Age, health issues, and level of physical activity are just a few factors that should be taken into consideration when writing a meal plan for a person.  For example, a young, healthy, and active person can eat more freely than an older person with high cholesterol who does not get much physical activity.  On average, a person should try to eat 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings of fruits, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-3 servings of meat, and consume fats and sugars sparingly each day.  One should shoot for this range until he/she can have an eating plan written for them.

The number of servings a person should consume daily is useless, however, unless he/she knows what amount of food is considered to be one serving, and what types of food are included in each food group.  The following are examples of what can be considered to be one serving of different foods found in each food group:

Bread/Starches (includes starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes, and green peas):

½ cup cereal, grain, pasta, or starchy vegetables

1 slice of bread

Fruit (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juice):

½ cup canned fruit (with a small amount of juice), cut fruit, or fruit juice

¼ cup dried fruit

Vegetables (starchy vegetables excluded.  Dark green and yellow vegetables are most nutritious):

½ cup cooked vegetables or vegetable juice

1 cup raw vegetables

Milk (see meat group to count cheeses):

1 cup milk

1 cup yogurt

Meat (includes meats and other protein-bases foods such as cheese, eggs, and beans):

1 ounce cooked beef, pork, lamb, poultry, or fish

1 ounce cheese

½ cup cooked dried beans, peas, or lentils

1 egg

Fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are best for you which are found in plant foods):

1 teaspoon butter, margarine, or vegetable oil

1 slice bacon

1 tablespoon regular salad dressing

Notice that some foods which are more commonly associated with a certain food group actually do not belong in that food group.  Many people consider cheese to be part of the milk group when in actuality it is found in the meat group.  The same goes for corn and potatoes, which are usually referred to as part of the vegetable group.  Since these are starchy vegetables they are counted towards the bread group.  It is important to know what kinds of foods are found in which food groups to correctly consume the adequate amount of servings needed.  It is also important to note that, while some foods can be considered part of two food groups, they are not counted as a serving from each group; they should only be counted as a serving from one group or the other.