MyPlate shows the amount of space each food group should take up on your plate during a typical meal. Gone are the frustrating attempts to figure out ounces of chicken, cups of rice or "servings" of vegetables. Visualizing healthy food choices in a way that's more practical and familiar should make it far easier to plan nutritious meals.
The USDA offers the following recommendations to "build your plate":
- Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.
- The other half should be divided between grains and proteins. At least half of your grains should be whole grains.
- Proteins should come from a variety of sources. For instance, choose seafood twice a week, replace meat with beans some days and go for small portions of lean meat and poultry.
- Switch to skim or 1 percent milk and other low-fat dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
- Reduce your salt intake by checking food labels and choosing foods with the lowest sodium. Aim for less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily.
- Avoid foods and beverages containing added sugar. Drink water and choose fruit for dessert.
- Save foods high in saturated fats or solid fats, such as cakes, pizza and hot dogs, as an occasional treat.
The USDA stresses that a key component of good nutrition is to enjoy your food. But make sure when you do so to avoid oversized portions. Use a smaller plate and a smaller glass to make your serving sizes appear larger.
Other tips include:
- Pay attention to the calorie count. When dining out, check the calorie counts posted on the menu.
- Stop eating when you're satisfied, before you're uncomfortably full.
- Increase the amount of calories you expend through exercise. Exercise is still key to weight control.
- Find out your own, personal daily calorie limit and discover meal planners, recipes, tip sheets and other resources at ChooseMyPlate.gov.
- http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/mini_poster_English_final.pdf
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