Healthy Habits, Month 10: Know What’s on Your Plate 

Have you ever read a nutrition label or could not understand one? Nutrition labels are a very important way to understand what you are eating. They contain the serving information, calories, and nutrients. Learning how to read a nutrition label can help you make healthier decisions in the grocery store. For more information, check out this link on how to read a nutrition label. 

https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label

Once you understand what’s in your food, you know what goes into your body. Using nutrition labels, you can prioritize balanced meals. A balanced meal contains fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins. Fruits and vegetables should take up half of your plate, whereas grains and proteins should take up the other half.  

Fruits: Apples, oranges, bananas, etc. 

Vegetables: Broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc. 

Whole Grains: Oatmeal, whole grain pasta, whole wheat bread, etc. 

Proteins: Chicken, fish, nuts, etc. 

Choosing balanced meals while reading the nutrition labels is great to know what is on your plate. The last component to eating a healthy diet is scheduling your meals in advance. Have you ever been to the grocery store without a list and ended up overspending and buying too much?  Thats what happens when you don’t have a plan. Before your week starts, schedule out what meals you will make each day. This ensures that you know when you need to cook and what you need to buy. Setting aside food for each day is a great way to reduce snacking or ordering takeout.  

Each day, make sure you track the 3 factors of knowing what’s on your plate. Check off when you schedule your meal, read the labels, and eat a balanced meal. Focusing on your diet this month will help you be 1% better every day! 

To learn more about food quality, check out this link to YMCA 360!