If you are looking for quick tips (suitable for sharing on social media) or reminders you can use to jumpstart a healthy diet... you've come to the right place! Check out the shortlist of tips for each food group below and download Super Tracker Tips for more great ideas!
Grains
- Add sweetness to your whole-grain cereals with fruit.
- Top cereal with sliced bananas, canned peaches, raisins, or frozen fruit!
- Use up leftover whole-grain bread or crackers as bulk in a meatloaf (or meat-less loaf). Check online for recipes.
- Need a snack? Try a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips.
- 1 medium-sized muffin is about 2.5 oz of grain. Do you know how many ounces of grain you need each day?
- What do whole grains do for you? Whole grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies.
Vegetables
- Grill vegetable kabobs as part of a barbecue meal. Try tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions.
- Did you know there are over 100 varieties of squash? Check online for a new recipe today.
- Try vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, squash, and artichokes to use in different dishes.
- Can you name four different ways you like to eat tomatoes? Try something new and healthy like tomato pie recipe.
- Rather than buying a vegetable pizza from a restaurant or a store, try sprucing up a cheese pizza with your favorite vegetables.
- Don't know what to do with leftovers? Puree roasted vegetables with chicken stock to make a hearty and flavorful soup.
- Need a snack? Have a glass of low-sodium vegetable juice and a few whole-wheat crackers to take away the hunger pangs.
- Tip for eating out: Share entrées with a friend. Have one person order a meat dish, and the other order a vegetable dish or a large salad.
Fruits
- Instead of butter and syrup, top pancakes with unsweetened applesauce and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
- For dessert, have a baked apple or a pear, or browse online for another healthy fruit dessert idea.
- Use fruit in your holiday stuffing--try apples, cranberries, raisins, or prunes. Check online for recipes.
- For an easy breakfast or snack on the go, try a fruit smoothie with frozen peaches, berries, and low-fat yogurt.
- Choose fruit! Ask for fruit, like sliced apples, a fruit cup, or 100% fruit juice at a fast food restaurant instead of fried foods.
Protein Foods
- Top your salad with a hard-cooked egg to add protein and other nutrients.
- Be food safe! Cook whole cuts of beef, lamb, veal, and pork to 145°F. Let meat rest for at least 3 minutes before carving or eating.
- Meat contains protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E, and B Vitamins. For less fat, go with lean cuts.
- For an easy supper--slow cook skinned chicken pieces, veggies, and seasonings in reduced-sodium chicken broth.
- Roasted pork tenderloin goes well with fruit. Serve with a fruit salad or a fruit salsa.
Chicken and white bean chili is a tasty way to combine protein foods with a great flavor and bounty of nutrients.
- For car trips, pack a mixture of unsalted nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for a crunchy, protein-packed snack.
Dairy
- Instead of high-fat pasta sauces like alfredo, try part-skim ricotta mixed with pesto for a creamy sauce.
- To get calcium at lunch, use low-fat cheese on your sandwich.
- Whole milk and regular cheese are higher in saturated fat. Low-fat or fat-free versions have the calcium without the fat.
- Calcium is a nutrient of public health concern. You can meet your calcium needs by drinking fat-free milk or eating low-fat yogurt.
- Use low-fat milk to make bread pudding. Check online for recipes.
SuperTracker Tips for the 5 Food Groups (PDF)
For more information visit: ChooseMyPlate.gov