The Nutrition Facts Label and MyPlate Can Help You Make Healthier Food Choices

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Mar 12, 2019, 10:00 ET

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thinking of setting nutrition goals this National Nutrition Month®, but not sure where to start? The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Nutrition Facts label and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) MyPlate can help. Learn to use these simple tools to set goals and maintain them all year long!

Use the Nutrition Facts label to make healthier food choices.
The FDA's Nutrition Facts label can help you make informed choices that contribute to a healthy diet. It provides you with important information about packaged food and drinks—from serving size to calories to nutrient information. Here are a few ways you can make the most of the label.

When shopping for groceries, use the label to compare different food items. Choose items higher in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and lower in saturated fat and sodium.
Look at the label to track calories and use the serving information to choose the right portion size for you.

Plan your meals keeping MyPlate in mind.
The USDA's MyPlate illustrates the five food groups that are the building blocks of a healthy diet using a familiar image: a place setting for a meal. Here are a few ways you can use MyPlate to stick with your goals.

Think about how you can include all five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy) throughout your day. To make sure you're getting the nutrients you need, choose a variety of foods and beverages from each food group.
Make small changes to your meals and snacks to make them as complete as possible. For example, if you are making pasta, add veggies to the sauce. Or if you're craving something sweet, cut up fruit for dessert!

For more information on making healthy eating choices, visit www.fda.gov/nutritioneducation or download the infographic below.

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/LabelingNutrition/UCM603415.pdf

Contact: Media: 1-301-796-4540 Consumers: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll-free)

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration