vol. 5 • no. 2
American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
Science of Choices—Fact Sheet for Consumers
Home Plate: Meals
That Bat 1000
H
ow nutritionally balanced are the foods and meals you typically eat? Are you and your family batting 1000 (a perfect score)
or striking out? Most Americans are not eating as well as they should to support health and well-being. Approximately two
thirds of adults and a growing number of children are overweight or obese. What is the main reason? Eating more calories
(energy) than the body burns. But at the same time, many Americans do not get enough of several key nutrients, such as vitamin
D, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.
A major emphasis of the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 is helping individuals and families adopt a nutrient-dense
and calorie-balanced way of eating that supports better health and weight management. This fact sheet offers strategies to help you
better achieve these nutritional recommendations.
Make Every Meal and Snack Count
Achieving a healthful way of eating depends on your whole diet, not just one meal. Every meal or snack contributes to overall
nutrition. Adopt these helpful goals for making food choices.
• Focus on selecting nutrient-rich foods—vegetables (green,
yellow, orange, red), fruits, beans and peas (legumes),
whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean meat, poultry and seafood,
nonfat/low-fat dairy, and foods rich in dietary fiber.
• Watch portions—whereas amounts of vegetables, fruits, and
whole grains may need to increase, amounts of foods and
beverages containing added sugars, solid fats, and/or refined
grains may need to be smaller to achieve energy balance.
Use healthful monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated
(PUFAs) oils rather than solid fats in food preparation. Olive
oil and canola oil are rich sources of MUFAs. Sunflower,
Safflower, and corn oil are good sources of PUFAs. Most vegetable oils have both MUFAs and PUFAs. Good food sources
include avocadoes, olives, nuts, seeds, and some fish.
Use Your Plate to Emphasize Vegetables and Fruits
Think of your plate as a road map to nutritious and balanced eating.
• Visualize the plate as divided into 4 equal parts
(quarters).
• Fill two quarters (half) the plate with dishes featuring vegetables or fruits:
• leafy greens, including salads;
• greens like broccoli, cabbage, and green beans;
• red, yellow, and orange like tomatoes, beets, squash, sweet
potatoes, and fruits (eg, fruit salad of bananas, strawberries,
oranges, and kiwi).
• Fill one quarter with a lean protein:
• lean meat or poultry;
• fish and seafood;
• plant-based protein like tofu (bean curd);
• dish with low fat dairy or cheese; and
• legume and whole grain dishes.
• Fill one quarter with starchy vegetable or whole grain food:
• whole grain bread or pasta;
• corn, potato, beans, or peas; and
• brown rice or other whole grain such as quinoa.
DOI: 10.1177/1559827610393466.
Science of Choice Fact Sheets are sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Science Institute. This handout is from your health care provider, and provides a general overview
which may not apply to everyone. Be sure to discuss how to use this information with your health care provider.
For reprints and permissions queries, please visit SAGE’s Web site at http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav.
Copyright © 2011 The Author(s)
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American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
Mar • Apr 2011
Choices Tip: Trying to eat more vegetables? Serve an additional vegetable at each family dinner. Try a new vegetable or new recipe
featuring vegetables every week or every other week.
Select Sensible Portions
Over the past few decades, portion sizes have grown at home and at restaurants. Larger portions means more calories consumed.
The result? Weight gain. Here are several ways to downsize.
• Serve meals on smaller plates or in smaller bowls. Taking
smaller portions is almost automatic. And research shows the
meal is just as satisfying.
• Self-pouring beverages? Use a tall, thin glass rather than a
short, fat glass. Adults and children pour smaller servings.2
• Educate yourself and family on portion sizes. Take the
Portion Distortion Quiz (http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/)
from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
• Eating out? Share an entree or take half home. At quick
serve restaurants, try “junior” product options and do not
“supersize.”
• When you do not have time to cook or simply do not feel
like it, eat a single-serve frozen meal. Many of these foods are
controlled in calories and portioned appropriately.
Choices Tip: Read labels on food products to understand the portion size. For example, frozen single-serve meals offer easy portion control.
Enjoy Healthful Sweet Treats
Did you know that many of the “extra” calories beyond energy needs that Americans eat come from foods that have added
sugars, solid fats, and refined grains. Breakfast and dessert pastries, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sugar-sweetened dairy
desserts like ice cream are major contributors. Try these alternatives:
• Fruit or fruit salad: fresh, frozen, dried, and canned-in-juice
options abound.
• Fruit with low-fat or fat-free yogurt parfait;
• Cocoa/chocolate nibs instead of after-dinner mints;
• Small serving of low salt nuts or sunflower seeds (with or
without dried fruit);
• Smaller portions of favorite treats on special occasions.
Choices Tip: Select cooking methods such as steaming, broiling, or baking that do not use added fat. Choose healthful oils rather
than solid fats when necessary.
Satisfy Your Taste and Food Preferences
The recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are flexible. They can be applied to all types of cuisines and
personal or cultural food preferences. For helpful resources, go to www.MyPyramid.gov. If you need an answer to a question
not found on the site, you can even call or e-mail an expert (click on “Ask a question”).
References
1.
2.
United States Department of Agriculture. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. www
.dietaryguidelines.gov. Accessed December 10, 2010.
Wansink B, Van Ittersum K. Bottoms Up! The influence of elongation on pouring and consumption volume. J Consum Res. 2003;30:455-463.
My Selection of 1 Step to Increase Healthful Meals This Week.
Recommendations and Comments From My Health Care Provider.
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