It’s a Plastic Plate

According to Kentucky Health News, only 23% of Kentuckians eat the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables (1,551 randomly selected adults).  The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) daily suggestions for adults is to make half of our plates vegetables and fruits.

The director at a local women’s recovery center asked the Boyd County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant to conduct a series of classes using the Healthy Choices for your Recovery Body curriculum to assist the residents in improving their overall health after suffering years of neglect due to addiction.  The participants were taught about MyPlate dietary guidelines and given a plastic replica of this teaching tool to assist and remind them of the recommended daily intake of each food group.  

At one of their facility therapy sessions, the therapist conducting the session  displayed a poster of The Food Pyramid. The participants commented that the Pyramid had been replaced by MyPlate and proceeded to explain the food groups and portions of each to the therapist .  Several left the meeting and returned with their plastic MyPlates to continue the discussion of the recommended daily intake of each food group.  

The director also told the NEP Assistant that the participants brought their plates to mealtimes and placed their foods in the designated sections of MyPlate to ensure their portions followed the USDA’s guidelines.  

During a discussion a few weeks later with the NEP Assistant, 87% (13 of 15) of the participants stated they learned more about the food groups and the recommended daily intake of each by using their plastic MyPlates during mealtimes.