ChooseMyPlate.gov

Food Groups Grains Group Vegetable Group Fruit Group Dairy Group Make at least half your grains whole Whole grains contain fiber which may reduce constipation. Vegetable Group Vary your veggies Helps reduce blood cholesterol levels. Fruit Group Focus on Fruits May reduce risk for heart disease. Dairy Group Get your calcium-rich foods Improves bone health reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Protein Foods Group Go lean with protein Proteins function as: building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Empty Calories calories from solid fats and/or added sugars. They add calories to your body but no nutrients. Foods high in empty calories: Cake, pizza, ice cream, soda, and cheese.

Food with some empty calories Food with few or no empty calories - Sweetened applesauce (contains added sugars) - Unsweetened applesauce - Regular ground beef (contains solid fats) - Extra lean ground beef (95% or more lean) - Fried chicken (contains solid fats from frying and skin) - Baked chicken breast without skin - Sugar-sweetened cereals (contain added sugars) - Unsweetened cereals - Whole milk (contains solid fats) - Fat-free milk

Other Important Info Balancing Calories Foods to Increase Enjoy your food, but eat less Avoid oversized portions Foods to Increase Make half your plate fruits & vegetables Make at least half your grains whole grains Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk Foods to Reduce Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, & frozen meals Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Dietary Trends Increased or Decreased? Calories 1970-2000 The average number of daily calories per capita in the U.S. food supply increased by over 5001—the equivalent of adding a quarter-pound cheeseburger, 365 days a year, to the diet of every U.S. citizen. Sugar 1970-2010 Added sugar intake increased by 11 percent.1 While this may not seem like a large increase, added sugar intake was already high in 1970 — as much as two 12-ounce cans of soda. Soda 1950-2000 Soda consumption more than tripled, while milk consumption nearly halved.

Dietary Trends Increased or Decreased? Snacks 1977-2006 Children’s snack consumption doubled. By 2006, nearly one-fifth of calories consumed by 2- to 18-year-olds were in the form of grain desserts, pizza, and soda. Fruits/Vegetables 1970-2010 Vegetable intake increased by 12 percent and fresh fruit intake increased by 28 percent,1 but the average American still falls short of dietary recommendations.

PART THREE – Complete on handout provided. Draw an arrow from the left to the right List replacement foods for the foods you already eat If you label a food with “no change” – explain why Example: apple sauce fresh apple Example: French fries baked potato