March is National Nutrition Month…

Get Your Plate in Shape

by Leah McGrath, RD, LDN, Corporate Dietitian – Ingles Supermarkets

In June 2011 the new “MyPlate” icon replaced the old “MyPyramid” and Pyramid as a way to illustrate the US Dietary Guideliness and depict better eating habits for Americans.

This year’s National Nutrition Month theme, “Get Your Plate in Shape,” encourages us all to take a look at what’s on our plate and see how we can improve our eating habits. One important goal is to make half of your plate (or bowl) fruits and vegetables.

How to:

1. Add fresh, frozen or canned vegetables to that breakfast omlette or scrambled eggs.

2. Don’t settle for just one vegetable at a meal – have two.

3. Remember that canned and dried beans count as a vegetable. Add beans to soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.

4. Keep frozen fruit – it’s great to add to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, or to have as a dessert.

5. Keep frozen vegetables in your freezer – you can quickly add them to soups, stews, casseroles, and pasta sauce.

6. When you serve yourself your dinner meal, make half the plate salad or vegetables, and the other half your entree.

7. Add fresh fruits to your yogurt, oatmeal, or whole grain cereal.
Have them as a dessert instead of higher fat or sugar choices.

8. Add extra vegetables to your sandwiches and wraps, like spinach
leaves, tomato, sliced mushrooms, avocado, sliced cucumber, and grated
carrots.

9. Add chopped vegetables into your brown rice, quinoa, or barley side dishes.

Leah McGrath, RD, LDN
Corporate Dietitian – Ingles Supermarkets
Phone: 800-334-4936
e-mail:
[email protected]

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