MyPlate Tips

MyPlate has taken the place of the food pyramid as a guide for healthy nutrition. Stay healthy with MyPlate by following these tips:

• Make half your plate fruits & veggies at each meal
  • Add veggies to your breakfast
  • Make fruit your dessert
• Choose low fat dairy like skim/1% milk or low fat cheese & yogurt
  • Low fat milk has the same amount of calcium & vitamin D as whole milk
• Make at least half of your grains “whole” grains
  • Be careful of misleading labels, “multigrain” does not always mean “whole grain”
  • Look for 100% whole grain on food labels
• Choose lean protein like poultry, fish, beans, or nuts
  • Limit red meat, like beef or pork, to 2 times per week
• Don’t eat the same thing every day! Eat a variety of different fruits, veggies, & proteins so that your body gets all of the nutrients it needs!
• Visit www.MyPlate.gov for more info, recipes & tips

Portion Size with Your Hand

It is easy to eat too much of the foods you like. Restaurants & fast food stops tend to serve you way more than a normal portion size. Use your HAND to portion size meals & stop overeating! Take home or save leftovers for later.

Fist= 1 Cup 

• Cereal
• Salad, vegetables
• Fruit (Apple, orange, pear)
• Rice, pasta (cooked)
• Popcorn
• Skim or 1% Milk

Thumb= 2 Tablespoons

• Peanut Butter

Palm= 3 ounces

• Meat, poultry, fish
• Peanuts, tree nuts

Fingertip= 1 teaspoon

• Butter, Margarine, Oil
• Mayo