Shari's Update - 1/5/2023

As we start the New Year, I wish all of you a Happy and Healthy 2023!! 

I wanted to see what last year’s top New Year’s Resolutions were, so I googled, and many responses came up. I went with the 1st one. These are the top four from Country Living. https://tinyurl.com/e68jxkzd   1. Lose weight 2. Eat healthier or change diet 3. Get fitter and take more exercise and 4. Spend more time with family and friends.  Oddly enough, these are my top four every year and they seem to work for about 6 weeks!!  But seriously, these are all great goals.

Since Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is all about food, I wanted to give you information on USDA’s My Plate. You can see it at www.myplate.gov  As I looked at their website, I was excited.  It was updated with tons of info and ways to help you lose weight and eat healthier.  They even have an app.  If you do not have a computer, please go to your local library. This information is useful.

I am now walking you through their site.  On the home page, you will see Learn how to eat healthy with MyPlate and you will see a plate with the 5 major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grain, protein, and dairy. I hit the orange box Explore MyPlate.  Scroll down and each section will give you more information on how much to eat and what the benefits are.  Each food group also has its own page of information.  

While you are still on the Explore MyPlate page, scroll down to Make Every Bite Count.  This is a great section. You can get a personalized MyPlate Plan that's right for you by clicking on the link. The plan is based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. I did this. For my info, it said 1800 calorie to maintain my current weight (157 lbs) but suggested a 1600 calorie diet to achieve a healthy weight. I clicked on the 1600 calorie diet.  Click on the food group buttons to learn more and get started.  Download your MyPlate Plan.

I clicked on the download link, and it provided me with a beautiful, colored two-page document that I printed. It said Start Simple with MyPlate Plan.  The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.  Small changes matter.  A healthy eating routine is important at every stage of life and can have positive effects that add up over time.  It’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives.  When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients. Make every bite count.

Then it gave the food groups and how much to eat for a 1600 Calorie a day diet.  Fruits: 1.5 cups -Focus on whole fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.  Vegetables: 2 cups - Choose a variety of colorful fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables -make sure to include dark green, red, and orange choices. Grains: 5 ounces - Make half your grains whole grains. Find whole grain foods by reading Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list.  Protein: 5 ounces - Vary your protein routine.  Mix up your protein foods to include seafood; beans, peas, and lentils; unsalted nuts and seeds; soy products; eggs; and lean meats and poultry. Dairy: 3 cups - Move to low-fat or fat-free dairy milk or yogurt (or lactose-free dairy or fortified soy version).  Look for ways to include dairy or fortified soy alternatives at meals and snacks throughout the day.

Choose foods and beverages with less added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium (salt).  Limit added sugars to <40 grams a day; Saturated fat to <18 grams a day; and Sodium to <2,300 milligrams a day. Be Active your way. Children 6-17 years old should move 60 minutes every day. Adults should be physically active at least 2.5 hours per week.

Page 2 of the MyPlate Plan was a daily record of what you did.  This was laid out nicely with the five food groups on the left side, 2nd column was to write down the food choices made for each food group; 3rd column asked did you reach your targets (yes/no).  And the 4th column, did you limit your sugars, fat, and sodium and were you active for the time frame given (yes/no).

This page also had a disclaimer. *This 1600-calorie pattern is only an estimate of your needs.  Monitor your body weight and adjust your calories if needed.

This week, I am going to try this MyPlate Plan.  I hope I make it past 6 weeks!!

​