Meal Planning

Meal Planning Elements Follow MyPlate Standards Follow Dietary Guidelines Make it Aesthetically Pleasing

Dietary Guidelines Eat nutrient dense foods. Balance calories to manage weight. Reduce sodium, fats, alcohol, and added sugars. Increase intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood and use oils instead of solid fats. Create healthy eating patterns that meet your nutritional needs and have the correct amount of calories. Include physical activity as part of healthy eating patterns.

MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables How can we incorporate fruits and veggies into our eating? – What are the recommendations for fruits? – What are the recommendations for vegetables?

MyPlate Grains – What are the recommendations? – Think about each meal! Ask yourself “What can I add to incorporate grains?” – What type of grains should we choose?

MyPlate Protein – What are the recommendations? – Usually appears as the main dish – What are some examples – Do custards and baked goods count as protein? Why?

MyPlate Dairy – What are the recommendations? – What are some examples? – Could it be served as a beverage?

Aesthetically Pleasing What does aesthetically mean? – Beautiful – Pleasing in appearance How can we make our dishes aesthetically pleasing?

ColorColor How can we incorporate color into what we eat?

Texture How do textures differ? How can we incorporate more texture into our food?

Temperature Think about your food….. What needs to be hot? What needs to be cold?

Flavor Why does flavor matter ?

Size and Shape How does size and shape affect a food product?