Proper Portions
The food pyramid is history—use a plate to design your balanced meal
Knowing what to eat and how much we should be eating can be so confusing. The 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines have made it much simpler. They’ve created a visual showing an actual plate with appropriate food portions. The Guidelines recommend you fill ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables, ¼ of your plate with grains (e.g., rice, pasta, barley), and ¼ of your plate with protein sources, such as chicken, beans, fish, meat, etc. On the side, add a serving of dairy: 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 ½ ounces of cheese or ½ cup of frozen yogurt.
Here are a few examples of well-proportioned meals:
Meal 1
Stir-fry with broccoli, mushrooms, onions and beef on brown rice; Pickled cabbage salad; Vanilla frozen yogurt with honeydew melon balls.
Meal 2
Turkey burger on whole-wheat bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato; Green salad; Baked apple.
The one minor but important detail left out is what’s considered a standard plate size. The average plate is 10 to 12 inches, but a 9-inch plate is best to help control portion size, which helps lower the number of calories. If you’re trying to gain weight, then you’ll go with the larger plate and fill ½ of it with vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables.
For good health, it’s also important to look at the quality of your food. To feel your best, include a variety of fruits and vegetables, eat low-fat or fat-free dairy, make at least ½ your grains whole grains, and when possible use less salt in your food. Also, think about your drinks—quenching your thirst with water instead of sweetened beverages not only helps you save calories but also helps you avoid that dreaded sugar crash in the middle of the day.
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