Setting a good example: Danielle Clapper, RD, LD, a dietitian at St. Anthony's, showcases broiled tilapia, grilled vegetables and wild rice pilaf as a healthy MyPlate dinner meal.
What's on your plate?
When it comes to healthy nutrition, think round. Instead of the familiar but confusing Food Guide Pyramid, the USDA now has made it easier for us to make better food choices.
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Last June, the USDA created “MyPlate,” a new dinner plate graphic segmented into recommended general portion sizes. The goal of making the food graphic simpler is to transform the way people look at their own meals on a day-to-day basis.
MyPlate takes a three-pronged approach to healthy nutrition:
1. It encourages us to eat smaller portions.
2. It clearly outlines the foods to increase in our diet, such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
3. It visibly discourages us from eating processed foods high in sodium, solid fat or added sugar, because they are not on the plate.
Don’t stress about the overall size of the dinner plate. Instead, focus on ensuring that the five food groups are on your plate at every meal — fruits, vegetables, grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy.
Easy Tips To Make Your Plate Healthier
Since not many of us take the time to weigh our food to control portion sizes (kudos to those who do!), here are some easy ways to create a healthier meal:
It's often easier for portion control to place vegetables and grains on your plate before adding a lean protein. Don't cheat and pile your protein sky-high, either! Just take the first step and ask yourself, "What's on my plate?" By matching your plate to the recommended MyPlate guidelines, you're moving in the right direction.
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.
