Dividing Your Dish

Learning how to divide up our dish can help us eat healthier and teach our kids about balance and the importance of eating different types of food. Most of the time, especially if you eat out, your plate is filled by grain and protein foods and very little vegetables. Balancing your plate is not only good for you, but it is also a great way to be a role models for your kids. How do the suggestions below compare to how you usually divide your dish?

           *    Grain: ¼ of our plate should be filled with grains. These foods give our body carbohydrates. These are                                 very important because they give our body energy.


           *    Protein: ¼ of our plate should be filled with meat and alternatives. These foods give our bodies protein                                     and help build our muscles.


           *    Vegetables: It is important to fill ½ of our plates with vegetables. The more colour the better. Different                                         colour vegetables give us different vitamins and minerals that are important for our health.                                           Having different colours on our plate also make it more interesting and appetizing.

For more information or ideas on how to divide your dish contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected]