March is National Nutrition Month, a month-long educational awareness program sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
In the last five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released MyPyramid, a customizable program which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid. MyPyramid represents the recommended proportion of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices in every group, every day. For customized recommendations, visit here and enter your age, gender and level of activity.
Regardless of your personal recommendations, there are a few overall tips to help you get the most out of food groups:
Prepare more foods from fresh ingredients to lower sodium intake. Most sodium in the food supply comes from packaged or processed foods.
Plan some meals around a vegetable main dish, such as vegetable stir-fry or soup.
Broil, grill, roast, poach or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
If you usually drink whole milk, switch gradually to fat-free milk, to lower saturated fat and calories. Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%), and finally fat-free (skim).
For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes and whole-wheat macaroni in mac-n-cheese.
Eating a balanced diet and staying physically active not only makes you feel better, but it helps control weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Take a moment to think of all the ways you could improve your diet by making simple changes.
In the last five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released MyPyramid, a customizable program which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid. MyPyramid represents the recommended proportion of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices in every group, every day. For customized recommendations, visit here and enter your age, gender and level of activity.
Regardless of your personal recommendations, there are a few overall tips to help you get the most out of food groups:
Prepare more foods from fresh ingredients to lower sodium intake. Most sodium in the food supply comes from packaged or processed foods.
Plan some meals around a vegetable main dish, such as vegetable stir-fry or soup.
Broil, grill, roast, poach or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
If you usually drink whole milk, switch gradually to fat-free milk, to lower saturated fat and calories. Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%), and finally fat-free (skim).
For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes and whole-wheat macaroni in mac-n-cheese.
Eating a balanced diet and staying physically active not only makes you feel better, but it helps control weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Take a moment to think of all the ways you could improve your diet by making simple changes.
Thanks for the tips! They were really helpful. You can also check out www.ncescatalog.com for MyPyramid teaching aids and cookbooks with nutritious meal ideas.
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