Nutritional Guide

The Healthy Eating Plate serves as a comprehensive guide for creating healthy, balanced meals, whether they’re served at the table or packed in a lunch box. It is presented as an:

• An interactive image, allowing each section to be explored to learn more about composing balanced meals.
• Printable copies can be downloaded to hang on the refrigerator as a daily reminder for planning and preparing meals.
• Translations of this valuable resource are available in over 25 languages, making healthy eating accessible to a wide audience.

Building a Healthy and Balanced Diet

Creating a healthy and balanced diet involves mindful composition and variety in your meal choices:

• Half your plate should be vegetables and fruits, with an aim for color and variety, excluding potatoes which don’t count as vegetables due to their negative impact on blood sugar.
• Whole grains should make up another ¼ of your plate, including whole, intact grains like whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats, and brown rice, rather than foods made from whole wheat pasta which has a milder effect on blood sugar compared to white bread, white rice, or other refined grains.
• For Protein power, focus on fish, poultry, beans, and nuts as healthy, versatile protein sources that can be mixed into salads or paired with vegetables. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats like bacon and sausage.
• Use Healthy plant oils in moderation from vegetable oils such as olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, and peanut, and avoid partially hydrogenated oils which contain unhealthy trans fats. Remember, low-fat does not automatically mean “healthy”.
•  Soft drinks, coffee, or tea, and skip sugary drinks. Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings a day and juice to a small glass.
• Stay active, as depicted by the red figure running on the placemat of the Healthy Eating Plate, a reminder that staying active is important for weight control.

The main message is to focus on diet quality, type of carbohydrate in the diet is more important than the amount, with sources of carbohydrate from vegetables (other than potatoes), fruits, whole grains, and beans being healthier. It advises consumers to avoid sugary beverages, a major source of calories with little nutritional value in the American diet, and encourages the use of healthy oils, contrasting the low-fat message promoted for decades by the USDA.

The Healthy Eating Food Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Food Pyramid stands as a cornerstone in the journey to a Balanced diet, offering a key to staying healthy. This guide categorizes food essentials and their recommended intake levels:

Grains

• Form the most substantial part of the pyramid. Eat a variety of grains daily for energy and fibre.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Consumed in a moderate amount, they are vital for vitamins and minerals.

Meat, Fish, Egg, and Milk Alternatives

• Important sources of protein should be taken in moderation to balance intake.

Reduce Fat, Oil, Salt, and Sugar

• Trim excess fat and opt for cooking methods like steaming, stewing, simmering, boiling, or scalding, and use non-stick frying pans to reduce the need for frying and deep-frying.

Right Food

• Incorporating different foods for their nutritional values ensures no single food can supply all the nutrients our bodies need. Emphasizing variety across food groups meets daily needs.

Right Amount

• Avoid eating too much or too little of any food. Specific amounts of nutrients are essential for optimal health. Not eating enough leads to malnutrition and symptoms of nutrient deficiency, while excessive intake results in over-nutrition or obesity.

Adhering to the Food Pyramid and its principles of the right amount of food and the right food selection is instrumental in achieving a balanced diet that promotes overall health.