Easy way to balance your meals

Just in case you haven't seen the updated info put out by USDA..."MyPlate" is the latest visual method to help you balance your meals. This is how I like to interpret the plate:

• 1/4 plate of protein such as lean meat, beans, fish, or eggs
• 1/4 plate of whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat couscous, bulgur, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, oats, whole grain bread.
• 1/2 vegetables OR 1/4 vegetables & 1/4 fruit. 
• Dairy can be low fat milk or low fat cheese at a couple of meals each day. 

This works great for lunch and dinner, but at breakfast can be a little harder to think this way. A good goal is to have at least one fruit or vegetable at breakfast. If you would like to do both, here are some ideas:

• Omelet or frittata* w/ veggies & low fat cheese, slice of whole grain toast & 4 oz of OJ w/ pulp.
• Smoothie: 1/2 c each: Greek yogurt, low fat milk,  spinach, 1/4 c wheat germ & 1 cup frozen strawberries w/ tsp vanilla. (tastes better than it sounds!!)
• Eggs, whole grain toast, sliced tomato or sauteed spinach & fruit. (My 8 yr old reading over my shoulder pointed out that since tomatoes have seeds, technically it is a fruit, but since it is not sweet the USDA counts it as a vegetable.)
• Breakfast burrito with whole grain tortilla, scrambled eggs, avocado/guacamole, salsa and side of fruit & low fat milk. 

*If you don't eat eggs, you can use tofu to make an egg scramble instead.

Hope this helps you think about what to put on your plate at each meal.

Eat well!!