MyPlate for Summer
Spring is in the air and summer’s right around the corner. I know how you love to get ahead, so let’s start planning with this brand-new series: MyPlate for Summer.
We have an ambitious lineup ready and we can’t wait to work our way through MyPlate’s food groups. Each post in this new series will offer resources to maximize engagement over the summer.
Up first… What exactly is MyPlate? And why does it matter?
Meet MyPlate:
MyPlate is a guide to healthful eating from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It’s based heavily on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are updated every five years.
MyPlate helps people build balanced, varied, and delicious eating patterns in ways that support their health and happiness.
How?
By putting it all on a plate!
As you can see from the image above, MyPlate is a picture of an actual plate, ideally balanced for a nutritious meal. Some of its key messages include:
Focus on Whole Fruits
Vary Your Veggies
Make Half Your Grains Whole Grains
Vary Your Protein Routine
Move to Low-Fat or Fat-Free Dairy Products (or Equivalents)
My favorite MyPlate takeaway is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal. This new series will offer loads of strategies for doing just that.
But first let’s look at why following MyPlate can be helpful for your audience…
MyPlate and Health:
MyPlate said it best, “The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.”
Following MyPlate can improve health and well being, and it’s possible to start gradually. It’s a sustainable model that can be adapted to a variety of eating patterns and budgets too.
Just in case that’s not enough, here’s the latest nutrition research…
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
Eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of getting heart disease [and…] may help with weight management.
Eating whole grain foods that have fiber, as part of an overall healthy diet, can support healthy digestion.
Nutrients provided by various protein foods can differ. Varying your protein food choices can provide your body with a range of nutrients designed to keep your body functioning well. B vitamins help build tissue and aid in forming red blood cells. Iron can prevent anemia. Magnesium helps build bones and supports muscle function. Zinc can support your immune systems.
EPA and DHA are omega-3 fatty acids found in varying amounts in seafood. Eating 8 ounces per week of seafood may help reduce the risk for heart disease.
Calcium and vitamin D are important nutrients at any age. Eating or drinking dairy products that have these nutrients help to […] Improve bone health, especially in children and adolescents when bone mass is being built […and] Promote bone health and prevent the start of osteoporosis in adults.
Stop by again next week to begin our brand-new MyPlate for Summer series, one food group at a time.
Sources:
https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate
https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/fruits
https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains
https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/protein-foods
https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/dairy