Do you eat just about anything you want without thinking about how it affects your body? Would you like to know how to make healthy food choices so you can manage your weight? Do you need information on how to manage your health because you have a chronic disease such as heart disease or high blood pressure? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the information on how to build a healthy plate will be useful to you!
MyPlate
MyPlate is the national standard for building a healthy diet. MyPlate is a colorful place-setting visual icon designed to remind Americans to eat healthfully. A dinner plate is divided into sections for fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins next to a circle representing a cup labeled dairy. The plate puts into perspective how the American dinner plate – and diet – should look. It focuses on building each meal in a healthy way based on the portions you put on your plate.
Steps to Building a Healthy Plate
- Step 1: Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit. You may use any type of fruit or vegetable to fill this half.
- Step 2: Fill a quarter of your plate with grains. When you fill your plate with grains, include whole grains instead of refined grains. Make at least half your grains whole. Whole grains contain the bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain. Examples include whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, bulgur, whole cornmeal, and brown rice.
- Step 3: Fill a quarter of your plate with lean protein. Now that we know what fruits, vegetables, and grains we have on our plate, we need to decide what protein will go well with them and really pull the meal together. Protein foods include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds. Dried beans and peas are also a part of this group and should be included in meals or used to replace protein foods.
- Step 4: Include foods from the dairy group. Try to include a dairy product such as cheese, yogurt, or milk on the side or as part of a dish on your plate. Most dairy choices should be fat-free or low-fat. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not considered part of the dairy group.
Treat Yourself Once in a While
Building a healthy plate allows room for some dessert or a sweet treat on the side. If you make healthy food choices and you are meeting your nutritional needs, it is okay to enjoy some desserts every once in a while.
Be a Good Role Model
Remember, parents, you are your children’s most important role model. They watch what you do more than what you say. For example, don’t just tell them to eat their vegetables—show them that you choose to eat vegetables on every plate.
Eating in Balance
The MyPlate system helps consumers plan balanced meals and snacks. Whether you are planning a meal at home or picking items from a restaurant menu, the MyPlate icon summarizes the proportions that you should strive for in a balanced diet.
Healthy Combinations
The MyPlate system does not suggest specific foods but instead recommends healthy combinations of the different food groups. This gives you the flexibility to get creative with cooking. When you build a healthy plate, you choose foods that you like, and that fit into your cultural, ethnic, and traditional food choices. It does not mean choosing foods you do not like. Of course, as you build your healthy plate, you should try new foods to experience new flavors and add variety and fun to your diet.
Evaluate Your Plate
Use MyPlate to evaluate your plate. The site at http://www.choosemplate.gov/ offers tools and resources to help consumers put the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into action by building healthy eating patterns. Eat for the health of it!
Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator
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