Tuesday, March 13, 2012

What's On Your Plate?

Written by Brett Gwaltney
Part of National Nutrition Month 2012

Where did all the color go on our plates? Having a balance plate is necessary for developing a strong and healthy body.  As shown above, most of our plates consist of fried, starchy, and unhealthy food. We have lost focus on the importance of our left side of the plate. Even if you are on a budget, fruits and vegetables can easily join your plate. 

Fresh fruits and vegetables have more nutritious than frozen or canned but if you know how to cook them properly you can succeed in getting all the nutritious that is packed in them. The key in buying fresh fruits and vegetables are buying them in season. This is when they are most abundant to the consumer thus being the cheapest. 

If fresh is just too expensive, frozen vegetables are the next best thing. You must remember not to over cooking them or in too much water. Over cooking the vegetables will cause you to lose a great deal of the nutrient as well as diluting them in too much water. Since the whole reason to eat them to begin with is because they are packed with nutritious that is essential for a healthy body. The best way to cook frozen vegetables is to steam them. 

Finally, canned fruit and vegetables are the cheapest route to go if you cannot afford anything better. You need to be aware that canned fruits or vegetables can be eaten without cooking since they have already been cooked to a safe level. A simple heating will do the trick. Another thing is to read the nutrition guide on the back since most canned ideas have a great deal of salt which can defeat the purpose of eating them.


References
Tenpoundhammer (Artist).  (2011).  USDA's My Plate vs. My Real Plate [Artwork].  Retrieved from http://www.tenpoundhammer.com/2011/06/usdas-my-plate-vs-my-real-plate-pic.html

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