Harvard Food Pyramid

The old-school food pyramid has been revamped by Harvard’s School of Public Health. It has taken the USDA’s MyPlate model and provided even better nutrition ideas to really ensure each meal you have is balanced and healthy. Here are tips so you can mimic the “Healthy Eating Plate”!

• - Aim to fill ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables. In this model, potatoes do not count as a vegetable and should be regarded as a starch.
• -Fill ¼ of your plate with whole grains. Be sure to have a 100% whole grain like quinoa, brown rice, oats, barley, etc. so you eat more fiber and minerals that refined carbohydrates (the white stuff) lacks.
• -The remaining ¼ of your plate should be a healthy protein. Choose lean proteins (animal or plant based) such as chicken, nuts, fish, legumes and be sure to reduce or limit your intake of red meats like steak and bacon.
• -Add heart healthy plant oils. Plant oils like olive oil, coconut oil, hazelnut oil, and sunflower oil are better choices than other unhealthy fats. Always nix hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils that contain trans fat.
• -Choose low calorie beverages like water, tea or coffee and omit beverages with sugar such as soda. Only have 1-2 servings of dairy per day and if you are going to have fruit juice, limit your intake to one small cup or choose a green, veggie based juice instead!
• -Don’t forget to move! Though this is a model for healthy eating, Harvard encourages you to keep fit for overall health and weight management.