The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion recently released a new tool to help you eat right: MyPlate. This system, which completely replaces the old MyPyramid guidelines, was designed to help you quickly and easily make the best choices when having a meal.
Whether at home or a restaurant, model your dish after MyPlate and remember these guidelines:
- Make half your grains whole. Choose whole grain breads, wheat pasta and brown rice.
- Focus on fruits. Try a new fruit every week, like kiwifruits, mangoes, blackberries and more! Buy frozen fruits for a cool snack on a hot day.
- Vary your veggies. Mix it up with different-colored veggies daily. Broccoli, carrots, yellow squash and red peppers are all tasty and offer different types of important nutrients.
- Go lean with protein. Choose white meat chicken, turkey, beans and tofu as your main protein sources.
- Get your calcium-rich foods. Select low-fat milk, yogurt and cottage cheese for bone health.
For more information, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Information provided by Janis H. Mena, MPH, RD, LD/N, Coordinator, SHCC Nutrition Services