Food Groups

The overall goal of the Cooking For Health Study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally tailored healthy food budgeting, purchasing, and cooking program on diet, food budgeting and cooking skills, and healthy and unhealthy food purchases among American Indians with type 2 diabetes. The curriculum included 12 distance-learning lessons that show ways to choose and prepare healthy foods. We hope that the lessons will help increase confidence in choosing foods that are healthy, affordable, taste great, and promote optimal diabetes management. Please note, the study is no longer open to enrollment.

Curriculum Lessons Relevant to Food Groups

Lesson 1 – Introduction

Eating healthy foods is a cornerstone of diabetes management. Over the next year, we ask you to complete 12 lessons (one per month) that will show you new ways to choose and prepare healthy foods—while staying within your food budget. We encourage you to apply what you learn as you shop for food and cook at home. The goal of the lessons is to give you the tools that you need to move closer to your healthy eating, cooking, and...

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Lesson 3 – Vegetables

The vegetable food group includes a variety of foods that are rich in color, packed with vitamins and minerals, and a good source of fiber that you need every day to be healthy.

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Lesson 4 – Fruits

The fruit food group includes a variety of foods that are rich in color, packed with vitamins and minerals, and a good source of fiber that you need every day to be healthy.

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Lesson 5 – Dairy Foods

Dairy foods are an important part of a well-balanced diet. However, some dairyfoods are healthier than others.

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Lesson 6 – Proteins and Meats

The protein food group includes a variety of types of foods, including meat (forexample, beef, pork, buffalo), poultry (for example, chicken and turkey), and fishand seafood (for example, catfish, walleye, and tuna). Beans, peas, eggs, tofu,nuts, and seeds are also great sources of protein that you can add to your diet.

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Lesson 7 – Grains

The grain food group includes foods that are primarily made from wheat, rice,oats, cornmeal, barley, or other cereal grain. The foods in the grain group are filledwith vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of fiber that you need every dayto be healthy.

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Lesson 9 – Empty Calories

“Empty calories” are foods that contain lots of added sugar and/or solid fat, andhave no nutritional value. Pop, sweet tea, fruit-flavored drinks, sports drinks, energydrinks, alcohol, crackers, and chips are examples of foods that contain emptycalories. Empty calories cause weight gain and high blood sugar. To maintainoptimal weight and blood sugar control, it is important to avoid foods with emptycalories.

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