Student Handout Balancing Calories Enjoy your food, but eat less. Avoid oversized portions. Foods to Increase Make half your plate fruits and 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, and frozen meals and choose the foods with lower numbers. Drink water instead of sugary drinks. A-1
Create Your Personal Plate Name Date Period Directions: Use the MyPlate interactive tool, Daily Food Plan, on the ChooseMyPlate.gov website. To get your personal Daily Food Plan, enter your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level into the program and click submit. Once you have your Daily Food Plan, use the tool to complete the following information: Food Group Name: A-2
Focus on Fruits Name Date Period Directions: On the Internet, go to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and click on the fruit section of the plate. Then click on What counts as a cup? on the right side of the Web page. For further details, click on the chart link. Choose ten fruits and write them in the spaces provided. Next to each item, write the amount that counts as one cup. Healthful Fruit Choices Food Amount 9. 10. A-3
Vary Your Veggies Name Date Period Directions: Use the MyPlate interactive tool, Daily Food Plan, on the ChooseMyPlate.gov website. To get your personal Daily Food Plan, enter your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level into the program and click submit. Once you have your Daily Food Plan, click on each vegetable subgroup listed under Vary Your Veggies and select three vegetables from each that you could add to your healthful food plan. In the right column of the same Web page, click on What counts as a cup? and then, for each food, write the amount that counts as a cup in the space provided. Healthful Food Amount Vegetable Choices Dark Green Vegetables Red & Orange Vegetables Beans & Peas 9. Starchy Vegetables 10. 1 1 Other Vegetables 1 1 1 A-4
Make Half Your Grains Whole Name Date Period Directions: On the Internet, go to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and click on the grains section of the MyPlate symbol. Then click on What counts as an ounce? on the right side of the Web page. For further details, click on the chart link. Choose eight healthy whole-grain items and write them in the spaces provided. Next to each item, write the amount that counts as a one-ounce equivalent. Healthful Food Amount Whole-Grain Choices A-5
Power-Up with Protein Name Date Period Directions: On the Internet, go to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and click on the protein section of the plate. Then click on What counts as an ounce? on the right side of the Web page. For further details, click on the chart link. Choose ten healthy protein foods and write them in the spaces provided (be sure to choose at least two seafood options). Next to each item, write the amount that counts as a one-ounce equivalent. Healthful Protein Choices Food Amount 9. 10. A-6
Dynamic Dairy Name Date Period Directions: On the Internet, go to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and click on the dairy icon next to the plate. Then click on What counts as a cup? on the right side of the Web page. For further details, click on the chart link. Choose five healthy dairy foods and write them in the spaces provided. Next to each item, write the amount that counts as a one-cup equivalent. Then review the website for five tips for selecting healthful dairy products. Write your tips in the space provided. Healthful Dairy Choices Food Amount Tips for Selecting Healthy Dairy Products 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. A-7