GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- –
Simply stated, healthy eating boils down to one thing: your plate and what's on it. March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is "Get Your Plate in Shape" ..... Change Your Plate - Change Your Shape. Plates that more closely resemble the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guidelines are filled with healthy, colorful food choices - foods which generally have fewer calories and are more nutritious.
There is a new food rodeo buffet in town. If you visited their grand opening, you would think they were giving away plasma televisions with every meal purchase. It was that crowded. Inside the restaurant, food was arrayed from wall to wall - all food groups were well represented, all colors grandly displayed; plates stacked empty, eager to be filled. Clean white plates waiting to get in shape with the Crayola Workout.
Crayola Workout. Color? Yes, color. To get our plate in shape, color it! More color equals more nutrients, which equals a healthier plate and that equals a healthier you.
The old Food Guide Pyramid didn't convey that message clearly. Yet, it is probably the most important nutrition message of today. Health agencies have known for years that the public needed to understand the color concept.
Remember the 5-A-Day Campaign? Eat five colorful servings of fruits and vegetables a day. It's a simple directive, but as it turns out, five is still not enough. In 2005, the updated Food Guide recommendations stated "fruits and vegetables - eat 9 - 11 servings a day," not 5.
Are fruits and vegetables that vital to good health? Yes. Yet, the message still was not being followed. Finally, "The Plate Picture" and the newly revised 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines For Americans says to Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. So now we get it.....make my plate more colorful!
The answer is yes and no- adding more fruits and vegetables works best when those foods replace high fat meats, cheeses and over-portioned starches, such as white rice and pasta.
The new 'MyPlate' guidelines also include recommendations for the other half of the plate: fill 25 percent your plate with lean protein and the remaining 25 percent with whole grains or starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas or potatoes.
Translated to actual food, that means 25 percent of your plate is a 3-4 oz. serving of lean protein and the other quarter section is about half of a cup serving of rice, or corn or peas, potatoes or pasta. For a quick comparison, each serving would fit in the palm of your hand.
Rounding out those guidelines is the recommendation to include heart-healthy fats and calcium-rich foods daily. For calcium and vitamin D, low fat or fat free yogurts and milks are people's usual choices, although there are other excellent non-dairy options such as alternative milks, dark green vegetables and calcium-fortified food products. Examples of heart-healthy fats include olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados - all in moderation.
Changing the food portions, choices and colors on your plate is a win-win scenario for those seeking to lose weight, eat healthy and be full and satisfied. Fruits and vegetables, especially non-starchy vegetables (any vegetable not a corn, pea or potato), are filling, high fiber or high water content, low calorie foods. Building our plate around fruits and vegetables enables us to eat the same volume of food for considerably less calories.
Studies show from day to day, people eat about the same weight or volume of food. Few people want to 'go on a diet' and eat less food. If we visually see a plate with less food than what we are used to eating, the natural tendency is to feel deprived, which ultimately leads to ditching the diet. Choosing foods with fewer calories per weight (or per bite), will still satisfy that feeling of fullness or satisfaction but on fewer calories. Filling up on higher fiber, more nutrient-dense foods also keeps our blood sugar stable, which keeps our metabolism high, thereby decreasing the urge for that sweet pick-me-up an hour or two later after a meal.
Now, back to the buffet. Endless food choices, but, actually, plenty of colors. To avoid consuming more calories than intended, follow the same MyPlate principle.
Glenn Luhrs, an Air Force retiree, shares his experience with eating out while trying to eat healthy. "I've lost 50 pounds over the past six months by changing how my plate looks. When I go out to eat, especially at buffet restaurants, I still eat as if I were eating a healthy meal at home. I start with a big salad (color), and am very mindful of the high calorie add-ons, like croutons, cheeses and dressing. When it comes to my main meal, I follow the MyPlate guidelines - half my plate is still vegetables. My sides are the lean protein and starchy foods. "
Luhrs said he also takes dessert into account.
"If I want a dessert, I cut back on my starchy food portion," he said.
Following the MyPlate guidelines will promote health and reduce your risk for major chronic diseases. The message is clear: enjoy your food, but eat less. Avoid over-sized portions. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Eat non-starchy vegetables in abundance. Color your plate healthy!
For a greater understanding of how to "Get Your Plate in Shape" and how the MyPlate concept fits into your eating plan, visit the Health and Wellness Center's MyPlate display table at the Norma Brown building, first floor main entrance way. The display will be available until the end of next week.