With fast food places on every corner, it's hard to eat right. Many people with myositis have told us that eating the right foods makes them feel better overall. So watch what you choose from the school cafeteria or to pack in your lunch.

Your doctor may tell you to stay away from certain foods-like foods with a lot of salt or fat-but it's also important that the foods you do eat are good for you.

You may have heard of the "food pyramid." This is a chart that helps you decide on the right foods to eat every day. Foods are split into different groups:

• Grains: bread, cereal, rice, noodles

• Vegetables: carrots, broccoli, squash

• Fruits: bananas, oranges and apples
• Dairy: milk, yogurt and cheese 
• Protein: meats, eggs, beans, nuts
  

• Fats: butter and candy

You need to make sure you eat certain amounts of food from each of these groups, and choose a mixture of different foods. Many doctors and nutritionists (people who study what we eat and how it helps or hurts us) want children to eat at least 5 foods from the vegetable and fruit groups and 2 from the dairy group. Don't eat 3 servings of carrots, though, just because they're your favorite. Eat other vegetables, too.

If you don't eat meat, make sure you get enough protein in your diet. Choose peanut butter or black beans. You should eat very little from the "fats" group, but it's okay to eat some. Pick the foods that are in the first groups (grains, vegetables and fruits) over those that are in the "fats" group.

You can find out more about the food pyramid online:
MyPyramid.gov
MyPyramid for Kids

Updated March 2007