Nutrition Month: Make a Healthy Meal Your Way with MyPlate!

The Food Bank is keeping things rolling this National Nutrition Month with another informative segment on KUSI. On Monday, Chef Jodi Abel from LaJollaCooks4U and Nurse Lisa Roberts from UnitedHealthcare spoke about the USDA's MyPlate nutrition guide. They explained that by following the model set by MyPlate will ensure that you can make heathier decisions about your diet.MyPlate is a fantastic nutrition guide because it simplifies the somewhat confusing visuals of the Food Pyramid. Portions are easy to understand. Each meal is comprised of half fruits and vegetables, with the other half being roughly a quarter grains and a quarter protein. Supplemented with moderate amounts of dairy and oils, and limiting sugar and salt, MyPlate provides the perfect blueprint for great meals!

When eating with MyPlate it is important to make healthy choices within the food groups. For your grains, be sure to choose items made with whole-grains like whole-wheat bread and brown rice. With your dairy selections, opt for low-fat varieties of milk, cheese, and yogurt to avoid high saturated fat intake. Although not a food group, oils are an essential source of nutrients found in many foods such as avocados, nuts, and fish. Oils are also used to cook or otherwise season foods. Use vegetable-based oils instead of butter when cooking, and opt for oil-based sauces and dressings.Don't forget that with MyPlate a meal is yours to make! Experiment with different choices in all the food groups. Cook your veggies in different ways - steaming, roasting, or raw, it's all nutritious. When picking a protein, think about all your choices. Lean red meats and poultry are good options, but remember that beans and fish are also great sources of protein! With all the potential for variety, planning MyPlate meals can be a fun activity for your whole family.Eating a well-rounded meal with MyPlate doesn't necessarily translate to high costs either. A nutritious dinner for the family can be made at an affordable price, dessert included! A menu such as baked honey lemon chicken, herbed vegetables, and chocolate chip yogurt cookies can be made for less than $1 per serving!For a further in-depth planning that includes daily recommended amounts for each food group, consider using the MyPlatePlan calculator. MyPlatePlan uses factors such as age, gender, height, weight, and activity level to measure your serving amounts within a recommended calorie range. This can be a useful tool to help avoid overserving!See below for the recipes referenced, and for the full clip of Monday morning's KUSI news segment!KUSI RECIPE: Tasty 2-Step Chicken BakeCLICK HERE TO VIEW RECIPEDINNER ENTREE: Honey Lemon ChickenCLICK HERE TO VIEW RECIPEDINNER SIDE: Herbed VegetablesCLICK HERE TO VIEW RECIPEDESSERT: Chocolate Chip Yogurt CookiesCLICK HERE TO VIEW RECIPECheck Out the Full Segment Below![embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKVtC-9yKNA[/embed] Want to learn more about National Nutrition Month? CLICK HERE!