Changing Eating Habits
So how does one start to eat healthier? No matter what your end goals are changing what you are doing is where you have to start. One way to start is by using the website ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Its start you on a basic eating concept that can be applied in the dining halls or at home. You quarter your plate each quarter containing one of the following: vegetables, fruit, protein and grain or starchy vegetables. To the right of the plate there is serving of dairy which is designed to remind you to have a calcium source. Eating this way naturally balances out your meal and controls your calories. The website coaches you on what foods fit into each area. For vegetables, there are recommendations for how many servings of green and red and orange vegetables over the week and how to incorporated starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. Under protein, you can find meat and meatless sources to select in your diet. This is also a discreet method to evaluate your plate.
MyPlate on Campus
Wondering about size of plate or how high you can stack your food? This is where you use common sense. Women can use a lunch or smaller dinner plate (8-9 inches) and men can use a larger dinner plate (10-11 inches). Beware our plate size has grown for around 8-9 inches up to 13 inches in some restaurants. You have to keep your plate from looking like the first trip at Thanksgiving. Normally, a plate would be a 1-3 inches high depending on the food.
Remember to eat the vegetables and fruit first and stop when you are comfortably full.
Kristina Houser, LD