In order to achieve balanced nutrition, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital recommends that you follow the Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It’s not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that is right for you. The Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight.
Use this chart to help you determine what counts as a serving size. Healthy choices are listed for each food group.
| Food Groups | # Servings Recommended Daily | What Counts As A Serving | Hints For Health Choices |
| Breads and Cereals | 6 to 11 | 1 slice of bread
1/2 roll, English muffin or bagel
1/2 cup pasta, rice or hot/cold cereal
1 pancake, waffle or tortilla
5 crackers | Choose whole grain breads and cereals because they are higher in fiber and good sources of iron and B vitamins. |
| Vegetables | 3 to 5 | 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 cup raw leafy vegetable
3/4 cup vegetable juice | Choose deep or bright colored vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli, spinach or carrots. These are good sources of Vitamins A and C and fiber. |
| Fruits | 2 to 4 | 1 medium fresh fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup fruit juice
1/2 cup canned fruit
1/4 melon | Choose whole fruits more often than fruit juice because they have more fiber. Like vegetables, fruits are good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. |
| Milk | 2 to 3 | 1 cup whole, low fat or skim milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 oz natural cheese
1 cup yogurt | Choose low fat or non-fat dairy products. These are good sources of calcium, carbohydrate and protein. |
| Meat | 6 ounces daily | 2-3 ounces of lean beef, pork, poultry or fish.
1-2 eggs
1/2 cup dried beans
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/3 cup nuts | Select more fish, poultry and lean cuts of beef. Trim all fat and skin before cooking. Avoid frying. |
| Fats and Sweets | Use sparingly | 2 cookies
1 teaspoon butter, margarine, oil or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon salad dressing
1 teaspoon sugar | Choose sweets less often because they are high in fat and sugar. Eat less saturated fat, which is found in bacon, sausage and butter. |
When you are a patient at Lawrence & Memorial, the diet you receive here at the hospital is prescribed for you by your physician. Your diet may be one of the following:
| Sodium Controlled, Fat Controlled Diet | A low sodium diet may control your high blood pressure and/or prevent water retention. Limit intake of salt and salty foods such as ham, hot dogs and deli meats. A fat controlled diet may help lower blood cholesterol levels. It may also be used to treat other medical conditions such as gall bladder disease or pancreatitis. Moderate amounts of lean meats, fish and poultry as well as low fat dairy products are allowed. |
| Carbohydrate Controlled Diet | A carbohydrate controlled diet may be used to help control blood sugar levels. This diet encourages portion control of foods containing carbohydrate such as starches, fruits, milk and desserts. |
| Renal Diet | This diet may limit sodium, potassium and/or phosphorus containing foods. It may affect the type and portion size of meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy products you are served. This diet may be used for treatment of kidney disease or elevated blood levels of potassium or phosphorus. |
| Modified Consistency Diet | This diet may be prescribed for patients with swallowing and/or chewing difficulties. Foods may be chopped, ground or pureed. Liquids may be thickened to promote safe swallowing. |
| Other Diets | You may also have clear liquids, full liquids or a soft, low fiber diet prescribed for you temporarily during your hospital stay. These are often used in sequence after surgery until you can tolerate regular foods or may be used to allow your GI tract to rest. The liquid diets contain foods which are fluid at body temperature and which have no solids within them. The soft, low fiber diet may eliminate raw fruits and vegetables and other high fiber foods, as well as anything fibrous or grisly, which might be difficult to digest. |
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