5 food groups or 4 food groups?

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-15-2013, 03:06 PM
Villages PL Villages PL is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Belvedere
Posts: 5,279
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Smile 5 food groups or 4 food groups?

On the front page of section C (local) in The Daily Sun, there's a column with the following heading: "Increase your fruits, vegetables with MyPlate"

The column lists 5 food groups:

Fruit
Vegetables
Grains
Protein
Dairy

My question: Why is "dairy" listed as a separate group when it's clearly a protein?

By law, the dairy industry is not even allowed to say that dairy helps build strong bones. But the U.S.D.A gives it the status of a separate food group as though it's something special.

Last edited by Villages PL; 03-15-2013 at 04:25 PM.
  #2  
Old 03-15-2013, 03:19 PM
pooh's Avatar
pooh pooh is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: MA, CA, TV
Posts: 6,101
Thanks: 2
Thanked 11 Times in 6 Posts
Default

Milk isn't composed of only protein....there are carbs and some fat.
__________________
Namaste y'all

Last edited by pooh; 03-15-2013 at 07:33 PM.
  #3  
Old 03-15-2013, 03:27 PM
Barefoot's Avatar
Barefoot Barefoot is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Winters in TV, Summers in Canada.
Posts: 17,669
Thanks: 1,694
Thanked 244 Times in 185 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Villages PL View Post
The column lists 5 food groups:
Fruit, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, Dairy

My question: Why is "dairy" listed as a separate group when it's clearly a protein?
My question: You mean that chocolate isn't a food group?
__________________
Barefoot At Last
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.
  #4  
Old 03-15-2013, 04:31 PM
Villages PL Villages PL is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Belvedere
Posts: 5,279
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefoot View Post
My question: You mean that chocolate isn't a food group?
You must have been reading my mind. Earlier today I had that same thought. If they are going to give special status to dairy, why not have a "dark- chocolate" food group? Or, how about a "beverage group" for people who like to drink their nutrition? That could include wine, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
  #5  
Old 03-15-2013, 07:08 PM
Virtual Geezer Virtual Geezer is offline
Eternal Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 612
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

Every man knows that there are only FOUR basic food groups:

Chicken
Ribs
Pizza
Beer


VG
  #6  
Old 03-15-2013, 08:44 PM
msendo msendo is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Lake Peekskill, NY
Posts: 138
Thanks: 4
Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Default

Dairy is a protein, but it also contains calcium, some that are fortified with vitamin D. This helps with the maintenance of bones and teeth, and also helps prevent osteoporosis.
  #7  
Old 03-15-2013, 08:45 PM
msendo msendo is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Lake Peekskill, NY
Posts: 138
Thanks: 4
Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Default

I would like to think of my cheesecake loaded with calcium, but...
  #8  
Old 03-16-2013, 12:03 PM
Villages PL Villages PL is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Belvedere
Posts: 5,279
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by msendo View Post
Dairy is a protein, but it also contains calcium, some that are fortified with vitamin D. This helps with the maintenance of bones and teeth, and also helps prevent osteoporosis.
Dairy contains calcium but it has not been proven to stregnthen bones or even maintain bones. And it certainly hasn't been proven to prevent osteoporosis.

If it could be proved to be good for bones, the dairy industry would make this claim on every dairy product in the supermarket. I suggest that you go to the suppermarket and see for yourself. If you can find any dairy product that says, "helps build (or maintain) strong bones", let me know.
  #9  
Old 03-16-2013, 03:17 PM
zcaveman's Avatar
zcaveman zcaveman is offline
Eternal Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: The Villages
Posts: 7,879
Thanks: 0
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Virtual Geezer View Post
Every man knows that there are only FOUR basic food groups:

Chicken
Ribs
Pizza
Beer


VG
Nope 5 groups. You forgot Snacks (chips, pretzels and salted nuts)
__________________
Jacksonville, Florida
Andover, New Jersey
The Villages

Second star to the right, then straight on 'til morning.
  #10  
Old 03-17-2013, 02:40 PM
Cantwaittoarrive Cantwaittoarrive is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 892
Thanks: 0
Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Virtual Geezer View Post
Every man knows that there are only FOUR basic food groups:

Chicken
Ribs
Pizza
Beer


VG
I can narrow it to two, beer and pizza for me
  #11  
Old 03-17-2013, 02:46 PM
BostonCelt's Avatar
BostonCelt BostonCelt is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 162
Thanks: 2
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by zcaveman View Post
Nope 5 groups. You forgot Snacks (chips, pretzels and salted nuts)
Wrongo.

There are four basic food groups, all contained in Irish Coffee. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.

Be healthy today!
__________________
Utica & Rochester NY; Columbus OH; Sacramento & Merced; Big Spring TX; Omaha; Nashua; Winchester, Clinton, & Quincy MA; and......YES!....CHARLOTTE!

Last edited by BostonCelt; 03-17-2013 at 07:14 PM. Reason: grammar
  #12  
Old 03-17-2013, 06:07 PM
Villages PL Villages PL is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Belvedere
Posts: 5,279
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pooh View Post
Milk isn't composed of only protein....there are carbs and some fat.
Yes, I'm aware of that, but classifications go by whatever the main constituent is. The main constituent of milk is water but there isn't going to be any "water" group to put it in. So you go for the next main constituent which I believe is protein.
  #13  
Old 03-17-2013, 06:24 PM
CFrance's Avatar
CFrance CFrance is offline
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Tamarind Grove/Monpazier, France
Posts: 14,540
Thanks: 388
Thanked 1,976 Times in 810 Posts
Default

I believe dairy also contains cheese. Dairy food group contains milk, cheese, yogurt, milk-based desserts, and soy-milk. That's a bit different than the meat/protein group.
See here What Is Dairy? - Food Groups - ChooseMyPlate.gov - USDA

"All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group."

The above paragraph is from that site. I agree it's very confusing.
  #14  
Old 03-17-2013, 07:09 PM
Barefoot's Avatar
Barefoot Barefoot is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Winters in TV, Summers in Canada.
Posts: 17,669
Thanks: 1,694
Thanked 244 Times in 185 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BostonCelt View Post

There's four basic food groups, all contained in Irish Coffee. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. Be healthy today!
How can something that tastes so good, be so bad?
__________________
Barefoot At Last
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.
  #15  
Old 03-17-2013, 07:38 PM
Villages PL Villages PL is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Belvedere
Posts: 5,279
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by CFrance View Post
I believe dairy also contains cheese. Dairy food group contains milk, cheese, yogurt, milk-based desserts, and soy-milk. That's a bit different than the meat/protein group.
See here What Is Dairy? - Food Groups - ChooseMyPlate.gov - USDA

"All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group."

The above paragraph is from that site. I agree it's very confusing.
That site, ChooseMyPlate.gov, was put up by the U.S.D.A. and of course they are going to justify including "dairy" as a separate group. The way groups are set up is usually based on lobbying, just like the old food pyramids were based on lobbying efforts. That's why there have been changes from time to time. If the dairy industy has a powerful lobby they can muscle their way in as a food group. And I think that's what has happened.
Closed Thread

Thread Tools

You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:22 PM.