MyPlate.
How Do I Rate?
For Health Professionals
of Children in 1st-5th grades
Overview
• What are the benefits of good
eating habits?
• What is MyPlate?
• How can MyPlate be used to
teach parents to plan healthy
meals for their child?
• How can parents use MyPlate to
easily evaluate their child’s diet?
• What are some useful MyPlate
resources for the parents I
reach?
Benefits of Good Eating Habits
Promotes optimal growth
and development
Maintains good health
Establishes good lifelong
eating habits and
behaviors
Key Messages of MyPlate
Make at least
half your grains
Make half Switch to fat-
whole grains
your plate free or low-
fruits and fat (1%) milk
vegetables
Balance calories:
•Enjoy your food but Reduce:
eat less •Sugary drinks by
•Avoid over-sized drinking more
portions water
•Sodium
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/mini_poster_English_final.pdf
Grains
• Why eat more grains? They are a great
source of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins,
minerals, and fiber. Fiber can help prevent
constipation in children.
• Whole wheat bread and crackers, brown rice,
and oatmeal are some great grain choices for
children and adolescents.
• Try a whole wheat English muffin
pizza—great size for kids!
Dairy
• Why eat dairy foods? Dairy foods build
strong bones and teeth – school-agers
and teens are still growing.
• What foods are in the dairy group? Milk,
yogurt, cheese, and foods made with milk.
• What can parents do to increase dairy?
• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Offer low-fat cheese and whole wheat crackers.
• Make a yogurt dip with fruits and veggies.
• Make a fruit smoothie, using low-fat yogurt.
Protein
• Why eat protein foods? Protein is vital to
the optimal growth and development
of kids.
• What foods are in the protein group? Meats,
fish, poultry, nuts, eggs, dried beans and
peas.
• For a better diet, eat leaner cuts of meat, add fish to the
diet once a week, and begin to add more plant-based
meals.
Vegetables
• Why eat vegetables? Veggies are
packed full of vitamins and minerals.
• Serve a variety of vegetables in
different colors.
• What are some tips for parents to offer more veggies?
• Include a green salad with dinner every night.
• Add veggies to pasta sauce or lasagna.
• For a snack, offer veggies with a yogurt dip.
Fruits
• Why eat fruits? Fruits are packed full of
vitamins and minerals.
• What foods are in the fruit group?
Strawberries, apples, bananas and oranges
• What can mom do to get her kids to eat more fruits?
• Make fruit kabobs for a snack.
• Make a smoothie with a fruit and yogurt.
MyPlate Key Messages
• Balancing calories:
• Enjoy your food but eat less
• Avoid oversized portions
• Foods to Increase:
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make sure at least half your grains whole grains
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
• Foods to reduce:
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and
frozen meals and choose the foods with lower
numbers
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks
Limit Empty Calorie Foods
Empty Calorie Foods:
High in Healthier
Foods with solid fats
solid fats choice
and/or added sugars but
little nutritional value Regular Extra lean
ground ground
• Limit solid fats beef (75% beef (95% or
• Eat less butter, stick margarine, lean) more lean)
shortening, lard Fried Baked
• Eat less cakes, cookies, pizza, hot chicken chicken
(breast
dogs, sausages, ice-cream without skin)
• Choose baked, steamed, or Whole milk Fat-free
broiled rather than fried milk
• Limit foods with partially
Apple pie Fruit and
hydrogenated oils and ice yogurt
cream parfait
Limit Empty Calorie Foods
• Limit foods and drinks with added High in Healthier
sugar added sugar choice
• Allow few or no regular soft Sweetened Unsweetened
drinks, sports drinks, energy applesauce applesauce
drinks, and fruit drinks Regular soft Water
• Set a reasonable limit on candy, drink
cakes, cookies, and ice-cream, Donut Whole wheat
and enjoy them in small bagel
portions
Milkshake Fat-free milk
• Don’t use food as a reward
Empty Calorie Foods:
Foods with solid fats
and/or added sugars but
little nutritional value
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/mini_poster_English_final.pdf
What else is on ChooseMyPlate.gov?
• MyPlate is more than a meal
planning tool. It provides a
wealth of information for
parents of
children and teens,
such as:
• Physical activity information
• Developing good eating habits
• Dealing with the picky eater
• Food safety
• Tips and recipes for specific
age-groups
Physical Activity
MyPlate stresses the need to
be physically active. Ideas for
family activities include:
•Turn off the TV
•Start small
•Set specific activity times
•Build new skills http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-
activity/increase-physical-activity.html
•Include other family
members
Tips for School-age Children
• MyPlate has lots of
information for parents,
such as:
• Building a better meal at
home
• Tips to reduce sugary
beverages
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/
downloads/MyPlateAtHome-adults.pd
• Physical Activity ideas f
• MyPlate Kids Place
Tips for Teen Guys
MyPlate provides 10 tips for teen
guys, such as:
•Get over the idea of magic foods
•Always hungry
•Strengthen your muscles
•Keep water handy
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-gro
ups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet34Ch
ooseTheFoodsYouNeedToGrow.pdf
Tips for Teen Girls
There are also 10 tips
for teen girls, such as:
– Build strong bones
– Cut back on sweets
– Make moving part of
every event
– Be a healthy role model
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-gro
ups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet36Eat
SmartAndBeActiveAsYouGrow.pdf
How Will You Use MyPlate?
In your small group, discuss the following points:
1.How will you use MyPlate when working with
parents?
2.What are some tips you can give parents to make
MyPlate more doable?
3.What do you think is the most valuable part of
MyPlate?
MyPlate is Great! Why?
It is an easy to use
resource for planning
healthy meals and
snacks.
It shows the balance of
foods needed for kids to
grow.
Parents can use it to
serve balanced meals.
It has tips for dealing
with a variety of feeding
issues.
But, most of all . . .
MyPlate is designed for everyone. It is for every
member of the family to make healthy food and
physical activity choices. For more information, go
to ChooseMyPlate.gov
For more nutrition information
Visit www.kidseatright.org for more tips, articles,
and recipes!
Looking for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist? It’s easy. Go to
www.eatright.org and click, “Find a Registered Dietitian.” You can
narrow your search by zip code and specialty area, such as sports
nutrition, pediatric nutrition, or heart health.
Content expertise contributed by:
This presentation was developed with an educational grant to the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics Foundation from Dannon.
