In Which Food Groups Do Potatoes, Rice & Candy Belong?

All foods fall into one of the many food groups. The food pyramid shows the relative amounts of each food, such as potatoes, rice and candy, that a person should eat to maintain good health.

Potatoes

• Potatoes are part of the vegetable food group. The vegetable is high in complex carbohydrates and starch. The starch in potatoes is of a type that must be digested before the glucose can be used by the body as energy.

Rice

• Rice is part of the grains food group. Brown rice is a whole gran, which means that the bran of the grain has not been removed. White rice is a refined grain that has been milled and the bran removed, along with a lot of vitamins and dietary fiber.

Candy

• Candy doesn't fit neatly into a specific food group, but it is placed at the top of the food pyramid in the category for discretionary calories to be eaten sparingly. Its main component is refined sugar in one form or another, which is a simple carbohydrate.