MyPlate Test Drive

 Does MyPlate Save Calories?A double cheeseburger and large fries has 940 calories. You might not realize how many calories as you drive through to get your meal. Further, everyone is used to the packaging: a small box of fries and a sandwich wrapped in paper. It is a value meal that you can get in about 5-8 minutes from a drive through!But, we took this meal home and put it on a dinner plate as you can see in the picture to the right.All of a sudden, the perspective changed. If you were cooking at home, chances are you would not “overfill” your plate the way this din- ner did coming out of the package.AND the best part is that MyPlate is a great system that helps you balance your meals and get the required fruit and vegetable servings.In order to change this meal to a healthy plate we put one patty, one half bun and removed the fries. Then we filled half the plate with a salad.The outcome? We saved over 600 calories. The healthy plate method is only 300 calories and it provides a plate that is half veggies and 1/4 starch and protein.Ways to Improve Your Plate:Add more vegetables!Keep portions small.Bake foods rather than frying them.Avoid processed grains.Consume fat-free dairy products.Choose low sodium breads, frozen foods, canned foods, and soups.Drink water instead of sugary bev- erages.