March is National Nutrition Month®. Join us to learn how to personalize your plate for your health and enjoy it!
5 Tips: Add Variety to Your Plate
- Follow MyPlate– A balanced diet includes foods from all 5 food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Aim to eat foods from around MyPlate every day. CNP Pro Tip: aim to eat 2-3 different food groups at each meal and for snacks.
- Change up the routine– Getting in a food rut is easy to do because it can make meals easier, but changing up your routine doesn’t have to interrupt your flow. Instead, think about ways to switch up the ingredients you are using to create your meals. Making a salad? Try using spinach instead of or in addition to lettuce, and change out the other vegetables you use. Add beans to your tacos instead of using all meat. Try a different breakfast cereal that has more whole grains in it. Substitute baked fish instead of chicken with your potatoes and sautéed vegetables. CNP Pro Tip: Start with one meal a week that is outside your normal routine or try one new food a week.
- Make every bite count– Everything we eat and drink impacts our health over time. Make every bite count by making sure the foods your enjoy for meals and snacks are full of the nutrients your body needs, and low in things like added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat. CNP Pro Tip: start with your snack foods. Enjoy a fruit, vegetable, or whole grain for a snack rather than pre-packaged snacks, like chips and cookies.
- Rethink your Drinks–It is easy to forget that drinks can be full of nutrients and calories, and that they are an important part of our diets. Drinks like water, low-fat milk, and 100% juice are healthy drink choices. While a soda or sweetened beverage is fine once in a while, aim to make most of your drinks healthy choices. CNP Pro Tip: Try carrying a water bottle with you and drinking from it often. Add a little chopped fruit to your water to give it flavor.
- Flex your shopping smarts– Nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists are your best source of information at the grocery store. When choosing a packaged food and comparing brands, check the nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists to see which options give you the best nutrition for your budget. CNP Pro Tip: Check the nutrition facts label for things like sodium and added sugars and pick options lower in these ingredients. Use the ingredient lists to see if grain products are whole grains.
- Follow MyPlate– A balanced diet includes foods from all 5 food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Aim to eat foods from around MyPlate every day. CNP Pro Tip: aim to eat 2-3 different food groups at each meal and for snacks.
- Change up the routine– Getting in a food rut is easy to do because it can make meals easier, but changing up your routine doesn’t have to interrupt your flow. Instead, think about ways to switch up the ingredients you are using to create your meals. Making a salad? Try using spinach instead of or in addition to lettuce, and change out the other vegetables you use. Add beans to your tacos instead of using all meat. Try a different breakfast cereal that has more whole grains in it. Substitute baked fish instead of chicken with your potatoes and sautéed vegetables. CNP Pro Tip: Start with one meal a week that is outside your normal routine or try one new food a week.
- Make every bite count– Everything we eat and drink impacts our health over time. Make every bite count by making sure the foods your enjoy for meals and snacks are full of the nutrients your body needs, and low in things like added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat. CNP Pro Tip: start with your snack foods. Enjoy a fruit, vegetable, or whole grain for a snack rather than pre-packaged snacks, like chips and cookies.
- Rethink your Drinks–It is easy to forget that drinks can be full of nutrients and calories, and that they are an important part of our diets. Drinks like water, low-fat milk, and 100% juice are healthy drink choices. While a soda or sweetened beverage is fine once in a while, aim to make most of your drinks healthy choices. CNP Pro Tip: Try carrying a water bottle with you and drinking from it often. Add a little chopped fruit to your water to give it flavor.
- Flex your shopping smarts– Nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists are your best source of information at the grocery store. When choosing a packaged food and comparing brands, check the nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists to see which options give you the best nutrition for your budget. CNP Pro Tip: Check the nutrition facts label for things like sodium and added sugars and pick options lower in these ingredients. Use the ingredient lists to see if grain products are whole grains.
Meal Planning for Your Health
Planning your meals is an easy and important way to make every bite count. CNP educators and staff share the things they do and think about when they meal plan as well as how they do it in this video. From large families to small families, families with babies to teenager to no children, there is something here for your family.
Meal Planning for Your Health
Planning your meals is an easy and important way to make every bite count. CNP educators and staff share the things they do and think about when they meal plan as well as how they do it in this video. From large families to small families, families with babies to teenager to no children, there is something here for your family.
Tips for Making a Healthy Plate
References
- National Nutrition Month (Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics)
Menu
