Can One Plate Make a Difference?

When someone is diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, it can be scary and overwhelming. Could one plate really make a difference? If it’s our Healthy Plate for Diabetes, we think so!

For most people, learning how to eat for blood sugar control is an ongoing process. If this process ends when they leave your office or class, they’re not going to make much progress.

But when they take home the Healthy Plate for Diabetes, they’ll have a tool to help them build diabetes/prediabetes-friendly meals by:

  • Increasing intake of non-starchy vegetables, which take up half of the plate
  • Limiting grains and starchy vegetables to one quarter of the plate
  • Keeping lean protein to one quarter of the plate
  • Mastering portion control without weighing or measuring food
  • Using the Healthy Plate for Diabetes/MyPlate concept as a guide when eating mixed dishes, casseroles, sandwiches, etc.
  • Visualizing their Healthy Plate when eating away from home

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

PS: Here’s a fantastic new handout to help your clients put these ideas into practice: Diabetes Handout

MyPlate Coloring Page

Today is your lucky day!

To celebrate the release of the brand-new MyPlate Coloring Book, I want to share a page from that book with you, for free!

You see, coloring isn’t just for kids anymore. Emerging studies indicate that coloring could help reduce stress in adults as well as children. Plus, it’s just plain fun!

Of course, I couldn’t leave things there. As soon as I learned about the possible health benefits of coloring, I began to brainstorm ways to sneak a few lessons about wellness and healthy eating patterns into my coloring pages. Before I knew it, the MyPlate Coloring Book was born. With patterns intricate enough to be fun to color, and an added dash of simple and memorable health lessons on each page, this book is sure to be fun for all ages!

And now, without further ado, here is the free page from the MyPlate coloring book! How will you use your copy?

MyPlate Coloring Page

Remember, there’s always more in the Nutrition Education Store! Check out these fantastic MyPlate resources…

My Plate Coloring Book

MyPlate PowerPoint and Handout Set

My Plate Banner and Stand

MiPlato y la Diabetes en Español

Do you provide Spanish language nutrition education materials for your students or clients?

According to Forbes:

  • 13% of the U.S. population speaks Spanish at home;
  • Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in our country;
  • The U.S. has the second largest population of Spanish speakers in the world.

That’s why you’ll find a variety of Spanish language materials at the NutritionEducationStore.com, including:

You’ll also find some great MyPlate in Spanish materials at MyPlate.gov. Your students or clients can take the MiPlato Quiz, get a personalized MiPlato Plan, and visit MiPlato Kitchen for recipes.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Give Veggies a Chance

September is National Fruits & Veggies Month. While most people love the sweetness of fruit, many just don’t like (or eat) their vegetables.

You can change this by shining the spotlight on vegetables and fruits all month long with our posters, prizes, floor stickers, and health fair materials.

Here are three ways to get your students, clients, or employees engaged with Fruits & Veggies Month and, hopefully, convince them to give vegetables a chance:

  1. Take the pledge. The Produce for Better Health Foundation invites you to take the Have a Plant Pledge to add one more fruit or veggie to your daily routine for a month. Give extra points for those who add vegetables!
  2. Make friends. If you’re not comfortable preparing certain vegetables, our Slicing, Chopping & Cooking Guide for Vegetables poster (which comes with a free handout) will help make all types of veggies welcome in your kitchen.
  3. Cheer for the underdog. Stand up for veggies that get a bad rap, like Brussels sprouts, beets, turnips, and even potatoes. Find recipes in the MyPlate Kitchen, where you can search by food group or a specific fruit or vegetable.

Keep fruits and vegetables front and center all year long! FYI:

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

3 Ways to Celebrate National Breastfeeding Month

August is National Breastfeeding Month and we have just what you need for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum nutrition and health education.

Here are our top three education materials for National Breastfeeding Month:

  1. Whether you work with moms who are currently breastfeeding or you’re teaching about breastfeeding in general, our MyPlate for Breastfeeding Moms color tearpad (in English and Spanish) is a helpful tool. In addition to information on healthy eating while breastfeeding, this handout touches on topics many people have questions about, including guidelines on exercise, alcohol, and caffeine.
  2. Our MyPlate for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Moms poster is double-sided, with information in Spanish on one side and English on the other. This positive, eye-catching poster communicates shows how to make a healthy plate for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum. It also provides valuable information on foods to avoid due to the danger of foodborne illness during pregnancy. There’s even a free handout to send home with your students or clients.
  3. Our most comprehensive resource is the Eating Right: For You & Your Baby PowerPoint show with handouts. This presentation touches on everything from morning sickness and food cravings to gestational diabetes and breastfeeding. Moms-to-be and their partners will be armed with everything they need to know for a healthy pregnancy and beyond. If you don’t have time to teach a class, you can play the PowerPoint show in the waiting room.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

3-in-1 Healthy Habit Tool

If you’re looking for a reward chart, habit tracker, and list of achievable health goals all in one, then you’ll appreciate our Reward Chart!

This 3-in-1 tool comes as a poster and a handout tearpad. You can write and erase on the poster or let everyone have their own chart from the tearpad.

The Reward Chart lists simple goals based on MyPlate that include physical activity, healthy beverages, food choices, and other healthy habits.

Here are some ways to use the Reward Chart poster and tearpad:

  • Display the poster in your office or classroom with a dry-erase marker nearby. Let clients or students check off something they did that day or that week.
  • Brainstorm non-food rewards your students or clients can use as incentives to achieve a certain number of goals per week.
  • Discuss strategies to achieve the goals on the chart. How can your students or clients make it easier for themselves to make that healthy choice?
  • Review the goals listed for each category and ask how many people in the class or audience already do that habit regularly. Invite them to share how they have been successful.
  • Emphasize that your students or clients don’t have to achieve every single goal that is listed! Choosing one or two goals makes it easier to focus and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Even if you don’t use the Reward Chart as a habit tracker, it’s a great resource for healthy living and MyPlate tips!

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Celebrate MyPlate This Summer

June 2nd is MyPlate’s 11th birthday! Celebrate with these 11 tips for teaching with MyPlate, using materials from NutritionEducationStore.com and MyPlate.gov:

  1. First stop: Look at all the items available in our MyPlate theme. Whether you’re planning a booth at a health fair or decorating a bulletin board, you’re sure to find something inspiring here.
  2. Make it your own: Everyone’s MyPlate doesn’t have to look the same! Give your audience the MyPlate Quiz to assess current eating patterns and identify healthy eating interests.
    • Each person who completes the quiz receives a snapshot of how they’re doing on the food groups, along with personalized resources and tip sheets.
    • Users can also sync their quiz results in the free Start Simple with MyPlate app and set food group goals based on those results.
  3. MyPlate 101: Offer a class on MyPlate. We’ve done the work for you with our MyPlate PowerPoint lesson, which includes three different presentations with handouts:
    • MyPlate for Adults
    • MyPlate Express
    • MyPlate for Kids
  4. Go social: Let your friends and followers know it’s MyPlate’s birthday. Encourage them to share their favorite summertime meals, nutrition tips, or activities using #MyPlateBirthday.
  5. Make it fun: Everyone will learn about MyPlate AND have fun playing ourMyPlate Trivia Game or MyPlate Bingo.
  6. Earn the badge: MyPlate’s Birthday App Challenge runs from June 1 through June 30, 2022. Achieve 11 food group goals to earn the 11th birthday badge!
  7. MiPlato: Distribute these color handouts that come in English and Spanish:
  8. Ask Alexa: MyPlate is now an Alexa skill!
  9. Wear the MyPlate message: Give out our MyPlate (or MiPlato) wristbands.
  10. Get cooking: Find healthy, delicious recipes online in the MyPlate Kitchen.
  11. Eat with your eyes: Take MyPlate further by using MyPlate Food Photos to show real, healthy, mouthwatering foods that go on real plates.

Find more ways to celebrate MyPlate’s 11th birthday here.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Bulletin Boards for Spring

Are you ready for spring? The flowers are starting to bloom, farmer’s markets are opening back up, and people are getting outside more.

Bring the freshness of spring into your office, classroom, or cafeteria with a new bulletin board display. It’s an easy way to brighten up any space, while also teaching positive, memorable healthy eating messages.

We have a full collection of bulletin board materials. Here are some of my favorites for spring:

  1. The Art of Health bulletin board banner with handouts reminds you to slow down and really look at the visual appeal and beauty of healthy food. After all, you eat with your eyes first, right?
  2. The MyPlate bulletin board kit for adults or kids gets back to basics by showing you how to make a healthy plate for every meal.
  3. The Spring Season bulletin board banner reminds you to head to the farmer’s market to try all the spring fruits and veggies that are being harvested in your area.
  4. The Focus on Fruits bulletin board kit shows off brightly colored fruits and teaches serving sizes for fresh fruit, dried fruit, and fruit juice. The kit comes with handouts on how to make a smoothie, fruit and yogurt snack recipes, and how to make a watermelon cake.
  5. The Vary Your Veggies bulletin board kit advertises a bounty of beautiful vegetables while also teaching serving sizes. Handouts include how to steam veggies, a garden salad recipe, and a winter soup recipe.

No matter how you decide to brighten up your space, you can’t go wrong with the colors of spring!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Quick & Easy Ideas for National Nutrition Month

Did National Nutrition Month (NNM) sneak up on you this year?

Don’t worry! Here’s a quick and easy guide to NNM, including resources (some free!) you can use with messaging from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

Week 1: Eat a variety of nutritious foods.

  • Learn to read food labels.
  • Include healthful foods from all food groups.
  • Incorporate your favorite cultural foods and traditions.

Resources:

Week 2: See a registered dietitian.

  • Ask your doctor for a referral to an RDN.
  • Find an RDN who specializes in your unique needs.
  • Receive personalized information to meet your health goals.

Resources:

Week 3: Plan your meals and snacks.

  • Choose healthful recipes to make during the week.
  • Use a grocery list to shop for nutritious food.
  • Make healthful food and drink choices when away from home.

Resources:

Week 4: Create tasty foods at home.

  • Learn cooking and meal prep skills.
  • Try new flavors and foods from around the world.
  • Enjoy your meals with friends or family, when possible.

Resources:

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Step Up to the Plate

MyPlate is a valuable tool when teaching about healthy eating patterns. But what if your students or clients forget about it as soon as they walk out the door? Give them a real MyPlate to use at home!

We have a large assortment of portion-perfect plates with MyPlate printed right on them. These plates are perfect for taking the message of healthy eating from the office or classroom to the place where people eat most of their meals – the home!

Who can benefit from these MyPlate plates?

  • Dieters who become frustrated when they can’t stick to the latest fad diet. They’ll be relieved to know that healthy eating means putting something from every food group onto the plate.
  • Patients with heart disease or diabetes. Following a meal pattern is easier when you have a visual-aid like the real MyPlate.
  • People with health conditions that affect appetite. Ensure you’re getting a variety of nutrients by putting small amounts of food on the MyPlate.
  • Parents who want to teach their kids to follow a healthy eating pattern. The real MyPlate makes it fun!
  • Older folks who need a reminder to eat balanced meals. They’ll be able to see what food group is missing from their meals.

Everyone could use a real MyPlate in their kitchen cupboard!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD