United States Department of Agriculture MyPyramid.gov
Tips & Resources
Mixed Dishes in MyPyramid
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Many popular foods don’t fit neatly into one MyPyramid food group. For example, a cheese pizza counts in several groups: the crust in the grains group, the tomato sauce in the vegetable group, and the cheese in the milk group. Some other common mixed dishes and how they count in each food group are listed in the chart.

Some mixed foods also contain a lot of fat, oil, or sugar, which adds calories. The estimated total calories in each dish are also shown.

The values listed are estimates based on how these foods are often prepared. The amounts in an item you eat may be more or less than these examples.

Amount from food group in this portion
Food and sample portion
Grains group
(oz. eq.)
Vegetable group
(cups)
Fruit group
(cups)
Milk group
(cups)
Meat & beans group
(oz. eq.)
Estimated total calories
Cheese pizza-thin crust (1 slice from medium pizza)
1
1/8
0
½
0
215
Lasagna (1 piece 3 ½” by 4”)
2
½
0
1
1
445
Macaroni and cheese
(1 cup, made from packaged mix)
2
0
0
½
0
260
Tuna noodle casserole (1 cup)
1 ½
0
0
½
2
260
Chicken pot pie (8 oz. pie)
2 ½
¼
0
0
1 ½
500
Beef taco (2 tacos)
2 ½
¼
0
¼
2
370
Bean and cheese burrito (1)
2 ½
1/8
0
1
2
445
Egg roll (1)
½
1/8
0
0
½
150
Chicken fried rice (1 cup)
1 ½
¼
0
0
1
270
Stuffed peppers with rice and meat (½ pepper)
½
½
0
0
1
190
Beef stir-fry (1 cup)
0
½
0
0
1 ½
185
Clam chowder-New England (1 cup)
½
1/8
0
½
2
165
Clam chowder-Manhattan (chunky--1 cup)
0
3/8
0
0
2
135
Cream of tomato soup (1 cup)
½
½
0
½
0
160
Large cheeseburger
2
0
0
1/3
3
500
Turkey sub (6” sub)
2
½
0
¼
2
320
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich (1)
2
0
0
0
2
375
Tuna salad sandwich (1)
2
¼
0
0
2
290
Chef salad (3 cups—no dressing)
0
1 ½
0
0
3
230
Pasta salad with vegetables (1 cup)
1 ½
½
0
0
0
140
Apple pie (1 slice)
2
0
¼
0
0
280
Pumpkin pie (1 slice)
1 ½
1/8
0
¼
¼
240