“What are you are eating?”, a friend said looking at my party plate of food. I took a deep breath and gave my standard reply. “Food. I have dietary restrictions.” I am a very picky eater. Picky as in I pick my food carefully, in accordance with healthy guidelines. EveryWAY Nutrition means healthy food for a healthier me. I nourish to flourish.
Another celebration with a buffet. Slowly, I had walked up and down, pacing back and forth several times, eyeballing the inviting food presentations. I was looking, thinking, and eliminating. With each step, my choices were whittled down, eventually giving me a practical, but far from perfect, healthy party plate.
As the table conversation flowed, more stares at me and my plate. I always feel a need to explain. I point to my plate, “Healthy food. Dietary restrictions. Fuel and energy to party hardy. Nourish to flourish.” The conversation quickly turns to sports.
My party plate is filled with healthy foods from farms and plants. It is built from the 5 food groups, fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. This group party on my plate has the vitamins, minerals, and other building blocks to fuel my fine-tuned human machine. No processed food products with dyes and chemicals for me, thank you!
I try to follow the nutritional guidelines from the U. S. Department of Agriculture MyPlate. They are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. To review, the MyPlate recommendations replaced that pointy food pyramid printed in 3 font last century.
My party plate smiles, proudly representing the MyPlate. Half of the plate has fruits and vegetables, one-quarter has grains, one-quarter has protein, with a side of dairy (low-fat or fat-free milk or daily alternative). The fruit section is saved as my dessert.. My brain and body will flourish with this nourishment. “Hey, Marlene, let’s get some dessert.” “Sure,” I reply.
I am sociable to the dessert and pastry creations. Beautiful, wonderful display, eccentric, overwhelming, bedazzling display of desserts, all in my do not eat list. I grab a few fruits the colors of the rainbow. Thanks for the nutritious and delicious food, my brain says.
EveryWAY Nutrition with healthy food for a healthier me, thanks to MyPlate. Nourish to flourish. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-
Learn more about “What’s on my plate” at DrMarleneMD.com
References:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, (2020), https://www.dietaryguidelines.
U.S. Department of Agriculture My Plate, (2022), Learn how to eat healthy with MyPlate, https://www.myplate.gov