Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet focuses on supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to work effectivity.
Food For Thought
Choose More Often:
- Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables
- Lean protein
- Low fat dairy
- Water
Choose Left Often and Limit:
- Simple Carbohydrates such as refind grains, sugar sweetened beverages, prepackaged foods and other baked goods
- High fat meats
- Whole fat dairy
MyPlate
The MyPlate method is a great tool use to create healthy well-balanced meals for all ages. The recommendations follow the most current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Make 1/4 plate grains/starches
- Bread, rice, pasta, tortillas, oats, quinoa, crackers
- Starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn and peas
- Make half your grains whole
- More iron, fiber, B vitamins
- Make 1/4 plate protein
- Choose more lean protein: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, lean cuts of beef and pork (round and loin)
- Limit processed meats such as bacon, sausage, lunch meat, and hotdogs
- Make 1/4 plate non-starchy vegetables
- Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, spinach, carrots, kale, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.
- Vary your vegetables
- Choose fresh, frozen or canned
- Choose no salt added canned vegetables
- Make 1/4 plate fruits
- Vary your fruit
- Choose fresh, frozen or canned
- Choose fruit canned in water or in fruit juice
- Choose low fat dairy
- Milk, yogurt, cheese
- Great source of calcium
- Try unsweetened dairy alternatives
- Choose unsaturated fats
- Liquid at room temperatures
- Olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados
- Include daily in meals
- Helps absorb several vitamins
- Limit saturated fats
- Solid at room temperature
- Butter, margarine, coconut oil, whole fat dariy, high fat meats
- Drink 8-10 cups of water daily
- Try Crystal Light, Mio, Propel, Gatorade Zero, lemon or carbonated water
- Limit sugar sweetened beverages such as juice, soda, sweet tea, energy drinks and sports drinks