My plate the New Guide

July 22, 2011 at 12:42 PM | Posted in baking, diabetes, diabetes friendly, fish, Food, fruits, grilling, low calorie, low carb, vegetables | Leave a comment
Tags: Drinking water, Eating, Food, Food Guide Pyramid, Fruit, United States, United States Department of Agriculture, Vegetable

The Food Guide Pyramid was the model for healthy eating in the United States. Maybe you had to memorize its rainbow stripes in school.

But the USDA, the agency in charge of nutrition, has switched to a new symbol: a colorful plate —called MyPlate — with some of the same messages:

* Eat a variety of foods.
* Eat less of some foods and more of others.

The pyramid had six vertical stripes to represent the five food groups plus oils. The plate features four sections (vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein) plus a side order of dairy in blue.

The big message is that fruits and vegetables take up half the plate, with the vegetable portion being a little bigger than the fruit section.

And just like the pyramid where stripes were different widths, the plate has been divided so that the grain section is bigger than the protein section. Why? Because nutrition experts recommend you eat more vegetables than fruit and more grains than protein foods.

Your food and physical activity choices each day affect your health — how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future.

These tips and ideas are a starting point. You will find a wealth of suggestions here that can help you get started toward a healthy diet. Choose a change that you can make today, and move toward a healthier you.

Tips to help you:

•     Make at least half your grains whole grains
•     Vary your veggies
•     Focus on fruit
•     Get your calcium rich foods
•     Go lean with protein
•     Find your balance between food and physical activity
•     Keep food safe to eat

Balancing Calories
●     Enjoy your food, but eat less.
●     Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
●     Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
●     Make at least half your grains whole grains.
●     Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
●     Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
●     Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html