The Power Plate featuring
The New Four Food Groups *
Fruit
Legumes
3 or more servings a day
2 or more servings a day
Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and betacarotene. Be sure to include at least one serving
each day of fruits that are high in vitamin
C—citrus fruits, melons, and strawberries are
all good choices. Choose whole fruit over fruit
juices, which do not contain very much fiber.
Legumes, which is another name for beans,
peas, and lentils, are all good sources of fiber,
protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins.
This group also includes chickpeas, baked and
refried beans, soymilk, tempeh, and tofu.
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Serving size: 1 medium piece of fruit • ½ cup
cooked fruit • 4 ounces juice
M
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Serving size: ½ cup cooked beans • 4 ounces
tofu or tempeh • 8 ounces soymilk
any of us grew up with the USDA’s old Basic Four food
groups, first introduced in 1956. The passage of time has
seen an increase in our knowledge about the importance of
fiber, the health risks of cholesterol and fats, and the diseasepreventive power of many nutrients found exclusively in plantbased foods. We also have discovered that the plant kingdom
8 Vegetarian Starter Kit
provides excellent sources of the nutrients once only associated
with meat and dairy products—namely, protein and calcium.
In 1991, PCRM developed the New Four Food Groups, which
formed the basis for the 2009 launch of the Power Plate. This nocholesterol, low-fat plan supplies all of an average adult’s daily nutritional requirements, including substantial amounts of fiber. In