Fantastic Number Four

Tip # 4: Rate Your Plate.
What do I mean by this? This year's National Nutrition Month campaign theme is "Get Your Plate In Shape." When you sit down for a meal, check out your plate and ask yourself these three simple questions:

1) Is it colorful? You should eat fruits and/or vegetables at every meal. If you do, your plate will have color.

2) Do you have whole grain foods in place of any refined grains? For example, you might use whole wheat bread in place of white bread, quinoa instead of white rice, or whole wheat pasta rather than white pasta.

3) In the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, author Robert Southey wrote that Goldilocks thought Papa Bear's porridge was too hot, Mama Bear's porridge too cold, but Baby Bear's porridge was "just right." Well I would like to believe that Goldilocks chose Baby Bear's porridge because the portion size was "just right." (If the temperatures were not right, she could have blown on each bite to cool it off or stuck it in the microwave to warm it up.) All jokes aside, the last question you want to ask yourself when looking at your plate is, "does this plate have too much or not enough food on it?" If the meal is served on a platter or if the food is piled high, it's probably too much. If you think it could be enough food for you and a friend to eat and be satisfied, don't plan to eat the whole plate full of food. Or if it's not enough food, you will end up quickly snacking soon after finishing your meal and overeating. You need the right amount of food to be satisfied without stuffing yourself and enough so you're not looking for your next meal soon after.

I went to lunch with a friend and this was what we were served. If you ask the three questions about our meals, here are the answers. They are colorful with fruit cups and salads. They have whole grain foods, using wheat bread and a wheat wrap instead of white bread and a tortilla. They have the right amount of food. Maybe just a little too much, but neither of us finished every bite on the plate.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and feeling more healthy and happy with each day!