Scarborough Wellness

Did you know that more than 1 out of 3 Maine children are above their ideal weight, putting them at risk for significant health problems?

Children learn habits early. Taking the time to be physically active with your children helps get them on the parth of being healthy for LIFE!

There are 1440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for some type of physical activity that you and your family enjoy.

Did you know that fewer than 3 out of 10 Mainers eat the recommended 5 or more fruits or vegetables every day?

Try to eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables every day. A serving of fruit or vegetables is about the size of a baseball.

Keep a bag of carrots and apples in the car. They make great snacks and can help you "Get Your Five" even on busy days!

Is a simple, easy to remember approach to eating for better health. The New American Plate provides the best advice on lowering your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other diseases. At the same time adopting this way of eating reshapes meals so they are higher in fiber and lower in fat and calories than the traditional American meal. As a result they can help individuals maintain a healthy weight, and offer a healthy strategy for those looking to lose weight safely.

When thinking of the New American Plate aim for meals to be made up of 2/3 (or more) plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans and 1/3 (or less) fish, poultry, meat or lowfat dairy. The plant foods on the plate should include one or more vegetables or fruits in addition to whole grain products like brown rice, kasha, whole wheat bread or pasta.

The first step in the New American Plate is to start adjusting the proportions of plant to animal foods on your plate. It is a simple shift not a sudden radical change. You can start by adding a second kind of vegetable to the evening’s dinner. Or you can make a one-pot meal like a stew or casserole that has a bit less meat and a bit more veggies, whole grains and beans.

Central to the American Plate is portion control or how much we eat of each food. The average number of calories Americans eat has increased by 251 calories per day which equals a potential 26 pound weight gain per year. USDA’s standard serving sizes can help you assess the portions you eat. Ask yourself how many standard servings go into the portion you regularly eat? If you are overweight, consider gradually reducing that number.

Food	Serving	Looks Like
Chopped Vegetables	½ cup	½ baseball or rounded handful for average adult
Raw Leafy Vegetables (such as lettuce)	1 cup	1 baseball or fist of an average adult
Fresh Fruit	1 medium piece ½ cup chopped	1 baseball ½ baseball or rounded handful for average adult
Dried Fruit	¼ cup	1 golf ball or scant handful for average adult
Pasta, Rice, Cooked Cereal	½ cup	½ baseball or rounded handful for average adult
Ready-to-Eat Cereal	1 oz., which varies from ½ cup to 1 ¼ cups (check label)
Meat, Poultry, Seafood	3 oz. (boneless cooked weight from 4 oz. raw)	Deck of Cards
Dried beans	½ cup cooked	½ baseball or rounded handful for average adult
Nuts	1/3 cup	Level handful for average adult
Cheese	1 ½ oz. (2 oz. if processed cheese)	1 oz. looks like 4 dice

The New American Plate is a diet based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans which can help prevent cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can also keep your weight in a healthy range. And because eating from the New American Plate is as pleasurable as it is beneficial, you will soon find it becomes a permanent part of your life.