Health Literacy Month and MyPlate

Did you know that October is Health Literacy Month? Well, now you do! One of the easiest ways that I've found to build health literacy is to consult MyPlate. MyPlate is the USDA's guide to healthful and balanced meals, setting up standards and guidelines for each meal.You can learn more about MyPlate at www.choosemyplate.gov. Of course, there are also fantastic resources in our store! These resources break down MyPlate's health messages into easy-to-understand and actionable items. Plus, their playful tone and colorful artwork makes participant engagement a snap. That's why I'm including a link to a free download of a MyPlate poster at the bottom of this post. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite MyPlate materials...The classic MyPlate Resource Bundle brings together the MyPlate Poster, a MyPlate PowerPoint & Handout Lesson CD, and the MyPlate Color Handout Tearpad! These tools combine forces to show your clients how they can fill their plates with healthful choices from each food group. Each item presents key information from MyPlate in a simple, engaging, and straighforward way. The posters offer the most important MyPlate highlights, while the handouts fill in the details and the presentations put all this information into a new format that appeals to varied learning styles.Of course, you can also buy each item individually. We've found that most people want to save money by buying the bundle, but just in case you prefer getting things a la carte, check out these links to the MyPlate Poster, MyPlate PowerPoint, and MyPlate Color Handout Tearpads.Now, what fun is learning all this information without putting it to the test with a creative game or two? Since playing games both increases participant engagement and improves information retention, it makes sense to take the vital messages of MyPlate and put them into a format that reaches your participants. Take this MyPlate Game Poster, for example. It's colorful, fun, and full of MyPlate quizzes!You can also buy fantastic PowerPoint presentations that actually are all fun and games. For example, check out the MyPlate Trivia game by Sarah Mohrman, RD, MA, and Food and Health Communications. It will teach individuals the most important messages about MyPlate. There's also MyPlate Bingo, which helps participants learn how to make MyPlate. The CD comes complete with the MyPlate game on PowerPoint, plus a PDF file with the rules, leader guide, handouts, and 100 printer-ready game sheets.Of course, no MyPlate resource guide would be complete without offering help to the people who are putting on cooking demonstrations! Cooking demos can be nerve-wracking, but this MyPlate Cooking Demo Guide Set offers everything you need to take the fear away and put on a fun and interesting presentation. Teach your clients how to prepare easy and delicious healthful meals with this program, which uses the food groups in MyPlate plus modern techniques and shortcuts to help everyone easily prepare a tasty and healthful meal. The 50 lessons cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, plus basic ingredients and cooking techniques.You'll look extra-sharp when giving your cooking demonstration if you're outfitted with this classy MyPlate Apron. Serving your dish on these memorable MyPlate Plates can be a fun thing to try as well. Plus, when participants get to take their plates home, they will have a concrete reminder of the balance and portions that make MyPlate great.And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... Here's the link to a free download of your very own MyPlate poster!By Judy Doherty, PC II