The Food Groups

The VegPlate consists of six food groups + 1 (that of calcium-rich foods, which cuts across the various groups). Let’s learn to know them and understand why they are so important in everyone’s daily diet, not just that of vegetarians:

• Grains
• Protein foods (legumes, and other protein-rich foods)
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Nuts and oilseeds
• Fats
• Foods rich in calcium

Depending on the individual’s daily calorie requirement, it is necessary to consume a given number of servings of foods that are part of the various food groups, and for each group a serving is a very precise quantity expressed in grams. In the tables of section The servings system of VegPlate these values are indicated.

A sample menu is also available for each daily calorie requirement, from 1200 to 4000 calories.