CHIP Tip No. 37: Balance Your Plate

With our hectic lifestyles, it’s easy to get busy with work or family and feel we don’t have time to shop or cook healthy meals. Take heart! The following three-step process is a helpful tool for purchasing and combining foods to build a healthy plate. Use these tips to help you think creatively about how to prepare healthy meals—even without a recipe.

Step One: Fill your plate with plenty of plant foods.

* Make sure two-thirds or more of your plate is covered with vegetables, fruits, whole grains (and starchy vegetables) and legumes (beans).

* Choose from:
Vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, jicama, kale, mushrooms, onion, radishes, romaine lettuce, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomato, zucchini

Fruits: apple, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, pear, peach, cherries mango, grapes, pineapple, orange, papaya, banana, raisins, prunes

Grains & more: corn, sweet potato, buckwheat noodles, whole wheat pasta noodles, oats, millet, barley, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, whole grain bread, whole grain bagel, air-popped popcorn

Beans: refried beans, fava, lima, lentils, baked beans, great northern, navy, black-eyed peas, black, adzuki, pinto, garbanzo

* Choose foods high in fiber to help fill you up with less calories. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, but some are higher than others. Remember to read your food labels!

Step Two: Include protein-rich foods on your plate.
Protein helps you feel full longer. Healthy protein foods include: soymilk/skim milk, nonfat yogurt, soy cheese, beans/legumes, tempeh, veggie burger, tofu and hummus (chickpea spread).
Consume small portions only: Turkey and chicken (white meat), omega-3-rich fish such as salmon, and nut butters such as peanut or almond.

* Choose plant proteins most often. Don’t forget meatless meals, such as beans and rice or a pasta dish. When selecting meat, think of it as a side item or condiment rather than the center of the meal.

* Limit your portion size of meat. Meat is very high in protein. If you choose it as a protein for a meal, be sure to keep the portion size small. Just a 3 oz. serving (about the size of a deck of cards) provides 21 grams of protein. That’s almost half the protein most people need per day!

* When selecting meats, choose fish most often, then lean chicken and turkey without the skin. Work to limit red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb, as much as possible. Studies show read meat increases the risk of colon cancer and is higher in saturated fat, which is not good for your heart.

Step Three: Choose healthy fats in small amounts.

* Choose small amounts of healthy fats, such as olive oil; unsalted nuts like peanuts, walnuts and almonds; avocados; and omega-3-rich fish such as salmon.

* Fat is very concentrated in calories, so a little goes a long way. Just one tablespoon of olive oil contains 140 calories and 14 grams of fat.

* Limit unhealthy fats from animal products, fried foods, cookies and pastries, and hydrogenated margarines.