I've noticed that getting a personal diet plan can be a very expensive thing to do so I'm trying to make my own diet plan. It's so much more difficult then it sounds though.

The http://www.mypyramid.gov says that I need

2,000 calories per day
6 ounces of grains
2.5 cups of vegetables
2 cups of fruits
3 cups of milk
5.5 ounces meat and beans

But how do I know WHICH vegetables/fruits/grains/milk/meat/beans to eat? I know that some are more healthy but how can I be assured that I'm getting the correct vitamins etc?

I know bananas have potassium, but how much potassium should a person have? I know oranges have vitamin c, how much vitamin c should a person have? So I probably shouldn't eat the same fruits everyday, but how do I know hiwch ones I should eat and how many times a week so that I'm getting the correct vitamins etc?

And how in the world can I come up with eating plan for a day that includes all of these things and still be under 2,000 calories? How much calories do fruit and cegetables have in them? I've never seen a sticky on the side of an apple that tells me how much calories it has in it.

Also, this website says things you should stay away from if you have diabetes, heart disease etc... I'm at risk for ALL of them. How do I stay away from them all?

I can't afford to get a dietician that can whip together the perfect health plan for me. If anyone can help me out I have no problem sticking to a plan, if only I knew what it should be :'(

I've been raised to eat as much as you want and whatever you want. I'd really like to be healthy but I'm lacking the knowledge of how to be and the more I read the more I'm confused.

Everything is just so confusing, anyone that can help me with any of my questions is so greatly appreciated.

Welcome Bridgette to our nutrition board!

You've taken a great step in checking with MyPyramid!! The key idea of MyPyramid is to eat a variety of foods within a food group. Foods with a similar nutrient profile are grouped into the same food group - therefore we do not need to worry about individual nutrient. For instance, the whole fruits and vegetables food group contain various antioxidants, vitamin C, carotene, vitamin K, potassium, and fiber. If we eat at least 5 servings of various fruits and vegetables, we generally would have eaten enough of these nutrients.

For specific foods within a food group, please visit "Inside the Pyramind" here http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html

Hello there

That US government site is pretty good... there are also other sites that you can look at to check out the recommended daily allowance of different nutrients, have a look at the official ones from the US (which is relevant for you) and then try to follow it.

There is one site which give you recipe options and then tell you how much fat/carbs/protein and the nutrients in the recipes... if I find that site I will post it here, but in order to use it, it requires you know exact amounts in recipes

Ciao
VitalHealth

Interesting topic. Why do so many of us get hung up on detail?

There seems to be plenty of evidence coming out which points to the amount of food we eat being more important than counting calories and stressing about how much of an individual mineral or vitamin we are including.

If we are sticking to a broad variety of fresh foods and avoiding any highly processed food we seem to also avoid most of the opportunity to consume undesirable fats and excess sugars etc. You also have the best chance of getting all the mins and vits you need.

Then it comes back to quantity. If you finish your meal feeling as though you could eat a little more, then I think you have had just about the right amount for you.

What you eat is crucially important to health.

Trying to work out from scratch the composition of a diet is exceptionally difficult : By a book and follow it. The easiest book on the market is
The "low GL diet" by Nigel Denby (State registered dietitian).
http://www.dietfreedom.co.uk/nigel-denby-profile.php

If you prefer there is "Health Defence" by Paul Clayton, which identifies the health giving properties of food.
http://www.healthdefence.com/

These books really do work.

Rgds,

Morgan