“Best Picks” For Your Plate By: Caitlin Baker

Overview/Summary Ultimate goal of project Consumers in Lincoln County will make healthier food choices when purchasing food Used the USDA MyPlate to show what a healthy meal looks like Brought MyPlate into Dave’s County Market and incorporated the concepts of it throughout the store

The Project Components 1) MyPlate meal with healthy sale items 2) Promotion of the MyPlate with developed materials 3) Labeling System 4) In-Store Healthy Food Demos

MyPlate with Sale Items

MyPlate With Sale Items Worked with an employee at the grocery store to put together healthier meals from flyer sale foods Objective: To help people see what a balanced meal looks like To show people that they can eat healthy on a budget

MyPlate Promotion

MyPlate Promotion Education materials were developed to pass out at the introduction of MyPlate to Dave’s County market Easy Ideas for Healthy Eating Booklet MyPlate Placemat MyPlate Magnet Healthy Shopping Checklist There was a two day promotion in the grocery store. Customers stopped by the table, picked up information and entered themselves to win a free fruit basket

The Labeling System

Labeling System Criteria Based off of the MyPlate Concepts Foods that meet the MyPlate Concepts get a “Best Pick” label All whole produce Canned produced marked low sodium, no salt added, 100% juice, or no sugar added Grains with the whole grain stamp & 9 g or less sugar Low-fat/lean meat & low sodium plant sources Low-fat/Fat-Free Dairy Anything not in a category that is marked: Low Sodium Reduced Sodium No Sugar Added Reduced Sugar Best Pick

Healthy Food Demos

Healthy Food Demos We have 2 food vendors and Dave’ County Market willing to help with this project Take recipes that are commonly used and exchange high fat/high salt ingredients for healthier alternatives Also, took commonly eaten processed meals (ex: Hamburger Helper) and showed how to make that meal healthier. Add more vegetables Reduce sodium/fat by using alternative ingredients Use leaner proteins The demos have not been done in the store yet, but the building blocks are completed

Conclusion There is much excitement about the project Other groups in the community want to become involved Owner of local Curves in Merrill, WI A health food market in Merrill, WI A grocery store in Tomahawk, WI MyPlate is now going to be implemented into school system A simple concept can make a big influence!