Regional Fats, Oils, and Sweets
Like the USDA Food Pyramid, the small tip of the Northeast Regional Food Guide Pyramid consists of fats, oils, and sweets. Foods such as salad dressings and oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies, and sweet deserts could be found in this part of the pyramid. Since these foods are calorie-dense (provide calories and little else of value nutritionally speaking), most people ought to use them sparingly and think of them as treats!

Unlike the USDA Food Pyramid which shows only the symbols for fat and added sugar in this section, The Northeast Regional Food Guide features some regional products that provide primarily fats and sugars. Some of these amendments to a varied diet, such as jams, jellies, honey, butter, maple syrup and some oils, are Northeastern favorites!

Several states in the Northeast Region have developed specialty, or niche markets for many of these foods.

Northeast Regional Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
Like the USDA Food Pyramid, the second level of the NERFG Pyramid consists of two food groups: Milk yogurt, and cheese; and Dry beans, nuts, eggs, poultry, fish, and meats. This is the level of the pyramid where most of the foods from animal sources are found.

Milk products provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources of calcium.

For good health, the USDA recommends 2-3 servings each day from the milk, yogurt, cheese group everyday - two for most people and three for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers, and young adults to age 24. The following count as 1 serving from this group: 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5-2 ounces of cheese.

Dairy products are very economically important to many of the northeastern states. While other regions in the United States are big dairy producers, Dairy is also an important industry in the Northeast

Northeast Regional Dry Nuts, Beans, Eggs, Fish, Poultry and Meats
Like the USDA Food Pyramid, the second level of the NERFG Pyramid consists of two food groups: Dry beans, nuts, eggs, poultry, fish, and meats; and Milk yogurt, and cheese group. This is the level of the pyramid where most of the foods from animal sources are found. However, this food group contains plant foods as well. Plant foods are those that are parts of plants grow in the soil as opposed to animal foods that come from animals that feed on a variety of plant foods (grass, hay, various grains, etc.).

Foods from this group supply protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day from this group. If these are supplied by meat, poultry, or fish, the total amount recommended is equivalent of 5 to 7 ounces. The following counts as one serving: 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, 3-ounce piece of meat is about the size of an average hamburger, or the amount of meat on a medium chicken breast half.

The recommendation from this food group can also be met with the plant food it contains. Since meat, fish, and poultry are major contributors of iron, zinc, and B vitamins, vegetarians need to pay special attention to these nutrients. 1 cup of cooked dry beans, 2 eggs, or 4 tablespoons of a nut butter count as one serving from this food group.

The Northeast produces, or harvests, a wide variety of foods that fit into this food group - Dry Beans and Legumes, Nuts, Eggs, Poultry, Fish, and Meats.

Northeast Regional Fruits and Vegetables
The USDA FOOD PYRAMID places fruits and vegetables on its third tier, and recommends consumming 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit each day. Some examples of servings from these two groups would include a cup of raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of other vegetables (cooked or raw), 3/4 cup of fruit or vegetable juice, a whole piece of fresh fruit (like an apple or pear), or 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit.

Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamins A and C. Both are naturally low in fat, and vegetables provide us with the folate, iron and magnesuim that we need. They are also high in fiber. Fruits are high in potassium, and they are a great alternative to the refined sugars, fats and oils that make up so many of our "sweet treats!" Fruits and vegetables are also rich in a newly discovered class of compounds known as phytochemicals thought to have important healthful properties.

The Northeast Regional Food Guide lists an abundance of foods from these two groups, and each season is distinguished by a unique cornocopia of produce. For more information about the variety and availability of seasonal produce, check out the Seasonal Availability of Produce list on page three of How to Use This Guide.

A survey of consumers in the Northeast revealed that most people are unfamiliar with many vegetables that are available in the winter from stored sources, "winter vegetables." Consumers were least likely to consume that following winter vegetables, even in the wintertime: beets, calabaza, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, parsnips, rutabagas, shallots, turnips, winter squash, and kohlrabi. Enjoying these wonderful and tasty root vegetables in the winter means adding more variety to the diet for many of us.

Sprouted beans (aka bean sprouts) are highly nutritious and are available through indoor production all year round.

Northeast Regional Breads, Cereal, Pasta, Tortillas and Whole Grains
At the base of the food pyramid, this is the group from which you can eat most generously. In fact, you should be consuming 6-11 servings each day!! A half cup of kasha (made from buckwheat), pasta, rice or cooked cereal, a slice of bread, and a tortilla are each individual servings. A number of the grains needed for these items, like wheat, oats, barley, corn and buckwheat, are grown right here in the Northeast.

A common misconception regarding this food group is that all of these starchy foods are fattening. However, this is not true. These foods are MADE fattening by adding things like butter, margarine, cream, cheeses, and sugars. So remember to avoid these added fats and sugars when eating from this food group!!!

The northeast produces a wide variety of grains, dry beans and peas and some nuts. The region has also maintained some milling capacity. Clearly the midwest and west are far bigger producers of these commodities now, but at one time New York's grain production was great enough for the state to be known as the grainery of the Northeast!

While rice is not a major agricultural commodity for the Northeast, there is some production in the region. Because it, like other grains and cereals, is comparatively low in water content, less energy per caloric value of food is necessary for transportation. Contrast this with the high volume of water and relatively low caloric density in fruits and vegetables and it is easy to see that from a resource standpoint it makes more sense to transport grains and dry beans than iceberg lettuce and tomatoes! Also, produce requires more extreme temperature control in the form of refrigeration for shipping and storage than do grains and dry beans.