The USDA recently introduced its new healthy eating symbol, MyPlate, which replaces the familiar food pyramid. The goal is to make it easier to understand not only what to eat, but also how much to eat. Need some more direction? Use the helpful tips below from our team of Dietitian and Wellness Coaches:
- Balance Calories
Find out how many calories you need for a day as a first step in managing your weight. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to determine your calorie level. Being physically active also helps you to balance calories. Download our Food and Activity Tracker to get started on your healthy eating and activity plan.
- Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less
Take the time to fully enjoy your food as you eat it. Eating too fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too many calories. Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues before, during and after meals. Use them to recognize when to eat and when you've had enough. It takes roughly 20 minutes after you begin eating for satiety signals to reach your brain, so slow your pace and let your system catch up. Try using your non-dominant hand to eat, make an effort to put your fork down after each bite or take advantage of the time to converse with your family.
- Avoid Oversized Portions
Use a smaller plate, bowl and glass. Give it a try – you are more likely to serve yourself the right portion of food – it is mentally more satisfying to see a full plate, so serve yourself the right portion on a small plate to set yourself up for success. Also, portion out your foods before you eat. When dining in a restaurant, choose a half or smaller sized portion, share your dish, or ask for a take-home box when you order and spoon in half of your plate before you begin to eat. You now have lunch for the next day!
- Foods to Eat More Often
Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or 1% milk and dairy products. These foods have the nutrients you need for health – including potassium, calcium, vitamin D and fiber. Make them the basis for meals and snacks. Try a Mango Banana Soy Smoothie with Nature's Basket® Whey Protein. Check out the whole meal plan here.
- Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Veggies
Choose red, orange, and dark green vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes and broccoli, along with other vegetables for your meals. Don't have enough room for both fruit and veggies on the half of your plate designated for them? No problem – making that entire half of your plate non starchy vegetables and putting the fruit as a side dish or dessert will only add about 25 calories. If you're going to eat a little larger portion of something – your best bet is the veggie portion. Download our Eating by Color Chart for more ideas on how to incorporate vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables into your diet.
- Switch to Fat-Free or Low-Fat (1%) Milk
They have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but fewer calories and less saturated fat. Don't drink milk? Giant Eagle® carries a wide variety of soy milk – be sure to choose an unsweetened one with added calcium and vitamin D.
- Make Half Your Grains Whole Grains
To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product – such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice. Just because your grain or bread is brown does not make it a whole grain – be sure to check the ingredient list! And remember, at least half of your grains should be whole, so you don't have to replace all of them (but if you do, that's ok too!).
- Foods to Eat Less Often
Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars and salt. They include cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, sweetened drink, pizza, and fatty meats like ribs, sausages, bacon and hot dogs. Use these foods as occasional treats, not every day foods.
- Compare Sodium in Foods
Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose lower-sodium version of foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals. Select canned foods labeled "low-sodium," reduced-sodium" or "no salt added." How do you know if something is low in sodium? Look at the %DV column on the food label and choose items that are less than 20%
- Drink Water Instead of Sugary Drinks
Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar, and calories, in American diets. Plus, water is essential for proper metabolism and thirst is often mistaken for hunger – so stay hydrated to help with your weight management goals.
Notice that each meal plate varies slightly from the MyPlate recommendation in that not all food groups are included in each meal – but that's ok, because at the end of the day, it all adds up! Use the plate as a guide, but do not feel you can't make slight variations. The portions will also vary based on your individual needs. The plate provides a guideline for balancing your food groups. If you would like help in understanding what variations you can make or how to make MyPlate work for your daily plan, e-mail: nutrition@gianteagle.com