Everybody's heard of the Food Guide Pyramid. But how often do we consider its suggestions in daily life? The structure and layout of the pyramid was carefully thought out, and, when used properly, can help you manage a healthy diet.

Even though it's a very general guide, using the Food Guide Pyramid can show you the way to a healthy balanced diet. We have developed two systems to help you stay on track with the pyramid, and catch on to a healthier lifestyle. Check out the links below for more information!

[The WalletTab] - [The Balanced Diet Tracker]

To quickly estimate serving sizes, use these visual comparisons:

Three ounces of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of one deck of cards
One-half cup of fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice is about the size of a small fist
One cup of milk, yogurt or chopped fresh greens is about the size of a baseball
One-and-a-half ounces of cheese is about the size of two nine-volt batteries

The key messages of the Food Guide Pyramid are variety, balance and moderation. For variety, eat different foods from within the Pyramid's five groups. But for balance and moderation, you need to understand how many servings and what size portions to consume.

The Food Guide Pyramid offers a range of servings for each food group. Everyone age two and over needs at least the minimum servings daily from all five food groups. However, the number of servings you need depends on the amount of calories you burn and your age, gender and overall health.

So where do you fit in? The minimum number of servings from each group in the Pyramid provides around 1,600 calories. That's a good amount for most inactive women and some older adults. The mid-range of servings provides about 2,200 calories. This amount is appropriate for many children, teenage girls, active women and inactive men. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding may need more. Teenage boys, active men and many athletes may need 2,800 calories or more daily, which would mean eating from the top of the serving ranges.

Now that you know how many servings you need daily, you need to know how much food counts as a serving. Serving sizes differ among food groups. If the portion of food you consume is bigger than one serving then it will count as more than one serving. For example, a half-cup of cooked vegetables is one serving. So if you eat a three-quarter-cup portion of green beans, it would count as one-and-a-half servings of vegetables. You don't need to pull out your measuring spoons and kitchen scale to figure out how much you're eating. Serving sizes are meant as general guides. It's okay to eat smaller or larger portions as long as you balance them out over several days.