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Knowing how to plan a healthy meal can be a real challenge. Thankfully, the United
States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has created a helpful tool that we can use.
In 2011, they replaced the traditional food guide pyramid with a new meal planning tool
known as My Plate. My Plate uses the visual of a place setting to help consumers plan
their meals. According to this new tool, half of your plate should be filled with fruits
and vegetables, with slightly more vegetables than fruits because fruit contains more natural
sugars. Slightly more than a quarter of the plate is denoted for grains, with half
of your grains coming from whole grain sources, such as oats, popcorn, and whole wheat grains.
These whole grain products will provide important vitamins and fiber, and fiber is an important
nutrient for a healthy heart and digestive tract. The remainder of the plate is for
protein, focusing on a variety of animal and plant sources as well as lean cuts of meat
and lean cooking methods. Finally, a serving of dairy is shown next to the plate with emphasis
on low-fat or fat-free varieties. Following this meal pattern will provide all the essential
nutrients for a healthy individual. The My Plate meal planning method can be used
in combination with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines are jointly
created by the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The guidelines
are reviewed and republished every five years, and they provide dietary goals for the nation
including not only healthy individuals but also those at increased risk of chronic disease.
The current guidelines address three main consumer focus areas: Balancing calories
to manage weight, foods to increase, and foods to reduce. Balancing calories involves reducing
the portion size of many foods and enjoying the foods you eat in smaller amounts. Weight
management is a balance between calories consumed and calories expended. Key recommendations
in this category include consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity. The next
category, foods to increase, includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products and low-fat
or fat-free dairy. Special emphasis is put on the dark-green and red or orange vegetable
groups. Also, eating more seafood and choosing oils over solid fats is recommended when possible.
Solid fats, such as animal fat, butter and shortening, are solid at room temperature
and are high in saturated fats. Eating a diet high in saturated fats can increase your
risk of weight gain, heart disease and other chronic conditions, so choose oils, such as
olive or canola oil, more frequently. The final category, foods to reduce, includes
sugary drinks, trans fats, and refined grains. Daily intake limits are also given for sodium,
saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and alcohol. When used together, My Plate and the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans can help you plan a healthy and nutritious meal for you and
your family. Check out choosemyplate.gov and dietaryguidelines.gov for more information.