Mix up your choice WITHIN each food group

Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried – rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. Try melons such as cantaloupe, berries such as blueberries, and citrus fruit such as grapefruit. Teen girls need 2 cups of fruits each day.

Vary your veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils. Teen girls need 2½ cups of vegetables each day.

Get your calcium-rich foods. Teen girls need 1,300 milligrams of calcium every day, which equals 130% of the DV (Daily Value) of the 1,000 milligrams that is recommended for adults. This means that teen girls need 30% more calcium than adults need. To get 1,300 milligrams each day, drink and eat a variety of foods that are high in calcium, such as fat-free or low-fat milk, fat-free yogurt, American cheese, ricotta cheese, and fruit yogurt and consume the recommended amounts from the other food groups. It would take 3 cups of milk to get 1,300 mg of calcium. Learn why calcium is important to bone health.

Make half your grains whole. Of the about 6 ounce-equivalents of grains teen girls need every day, at least 3 should be whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta. One ounce-equivalent is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ¼ cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are called "whole" in the list of ingredients. Bread that is just called "wheat" bread is not the same as "whole wheat bread." Look for "whole wheat" to know it is the healthiest option.

Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry that are baked, broiled or grilled. And vary your protein choices by also eating more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds. Teen girls need about 5½ ounces of lean protein each day. A 2-3 ounce serving of meat, poultry, or fish is equal to the size of a deck of cards.

Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose foods and drinks with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

*I found this on www.mypyramid.gov