Six Reasons SuperTracker Is the Answer to Conquering New Year's Resolutions

From USDA:

Posted by Jessica Larson, MS, RD, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, on January 8, 2015 at 9:30 AM

Reach your health goals with SuperTracker.

If you are like millions of Americans, thinking about New Year’s Resolutions makes your hands sweat.  Don’t worry. USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has got you covered.

Whether you want to lose weight, get more calcium in your diet, or increase your activity, SuperTracker is here to help. With these six steps, you’ll be well on your way to making your New Year’s Resolution a reality!

1. You can create a FREE New Year’s Resolution plan that is right for you.

When it comes to making healthy changes, one size doesn’t fit all.  With SuperTracker’s My Plan, registered users can create a personalized diet and physical activity program to meet their needs.

SuperTracker offers a FREE personalized nutrition and activity plan.

2. You’ll get your own personal cheering squad!

We don’t want you out in the field on your own. That’s why SuperTracker offers a Coach Center – to keep you on track to better health.  SuperTracker will send you tips to reach your goals and a giant pat on the back with every milestone you reach.

SuperTracker’s Coach Center is here to cheer you on.

3. You can log your food AND your activity with one program!

Think of SuperTracker as your one stop health shop. You can track what you eat with Food Tracker and how much you move with Physical Activity Tracker. See how your daily choices stack up to meet your goals.

Track your activity with SuperTracker.

4. You can compare and contrast foods on the go!

Rushing through the grocery store to pick up something healthy for dinner? SuperTracker’s Food-A-Pedia is here to lighten the load and the calories.  Compare foods side by side and choose the foods that are right for you.

Use SuperTracker’s Food-A-Pedia to make healthy decisions on the go.

5. Yep, there’s a graph for that.

Show off your success with SuperTracker’s fancy graphs and charts.  Make your coworkers jealous when they see how many fruits and veggies you are eating.

Track your success with SuperTracker’s My Reports.

6. One tool for the whole family – almost…

You can create multiple profiles within one account to keep the whole family on track. SuperTracker is a plan for the whole clan! Well, almost – Fluffy the cat might need to find his own fancy health tool.

SuperTracker profiles can be created for (almost) every family member.

You're Never Too Old to Play With Your Food

From USDA:

Posted by Jessica Larson, MS, RD (Nutritionist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), on December 18, 2014 at 12:00 PM

MyPlate offers easy ideas for making healthy foods festive and fun.

Who doesn’t want to have a little fun with their food? Especially if you have a picky eater at home, try adding a creative flair to the plate to boost a healthy meal’s fun factor. Our team of nutritionists has been having fun using cookie cutters to come up with creative, healthy ideas, but there are lots of easy ways to make healthy choices more appealing.

Earlier this week we shared a blog about making a snowman from all 5 of the MyPlate food groups. Below are some additional ideas. Have fun!

• Try using cookie cutters to make a two-toned sandwich, like the mitten sandwich above. This also helps teach kids about making at least half their grains whole grains.
• Serve foods in seasonal colors. For Valentine’s Day, play up red fruits and vegetables, for St. Patrick’s Day- all green, for the 4^th of July- red, white, and blue.
• Create a “new” dish with your child and name it for him or her. Make a big deal of serving “Dawn’s Spectacular Salad” or “Peter’s ‘Pan-tastic’ Sweet Potatoes” for dinner.
• Use seasonal placemats and napkins to make the meal more festive.
• Create faces on the plate. For example, create a potato person by decorating half a baked potato with sliced cherry tomatoes, peas, and low-fat cheese to make a funny face.
• Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes out of low-fat cheese and whole-grain bread. Pair with fruits and veggies for a MyPlate snack plate. (See image below)

And, importantly, be a healthy role model! Let kids see you enjoying healthy foods and they’ll be excited to try them, too.

Stay connected with MyPlate for healthy food inspiration year round:

• ChooseMyPlate.gov
• MyPlate Facebook page
• @MyPlate Twitter
• Sign up for MyPlate email updates
  

  Try using cookie cutters to add a fun, seasonal theme to healthy choices.

Winter Food Fun for Kids of All Ages

From USDA:

Posted by Sasha Bard, MS, RD (Nutritionist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), on December 16, 2014 at 3:00 PM

You’re never too old to play with your food! This winter, while the kids are home from school and family and friends gather together, you can experiment with ways to make healthy foods festive and fun. This blog shows how we created a snowy scene using foods from all five of the MyPlate food groups.

We will continue to share ideas throughout the season on the MyPlate Facebook page, @MyPlate Twitter, and ChooseMyPlate.gov, and we want you to join in the fun. Get creative in the kitchen and find ways to make healthy foods the main attraction at your winter celebrations!

MyPlate Snowman Scene

Before getting started, be sure to wash your hands.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 1.

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients and supplies. You’ll need whole-grain bread, peanut butter, a banana, raisins, a carrot, pretzel sticks, low-fat cheese slices (a white cheese will work best), your favorite green vegetable (we used a bell pepper), and edible snow (we chose air-popped popcorn, but a light colored cereal would work as well). Be creative and use what you already have on hand.

You’ll also need the following supplies: butter knife, snowman cookie cutter, cutting board, and a small snowflake cookie cutter.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 2.

Step 2: Make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Use the snowman cookie cutter to create your main character. (Tip: Don’t waste the crusts! Enjoy the non-snowman parts of the sandwich now as a snack or save for later.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 3.

Step 3: Make the snowflakes. (Tip: If you don’t have a small snowflake cookie cutter, you can use a plain circle and create snowballs instead! Cheese leftovers from the cutouts can be enjoyed as a snack now or refrigerated for later.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 4.

Step 4: Now it’s time to create your scene! Relocate your snowman to a plate (a plate in a solid color works best) and give him a face, hat, buttons, and arms. If it’s cold outside, he may need a scarf too.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 5.

Step 5: Cover the ground in “snow” and plant trees. (If you don’t have a bell pepper, use another green fruit or vegetable such as snow peas or kiwi.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 6.

Step 6: Let it snow! Add cheese snowflakes or snowballs to complete the scene on your plate. Add seasonal tableware and napkins to complete the scene on your table.

Step 7: Any finishing touches? Have fun and make it your own. Orange and yellow low-fat cheese can be used to add stars or a sun to the sky. Plant extra trees or build a house. Then eat and enjoy!

Check the MyPlate Facebook page throughout December for additional Winter Food Fun ideas. We’ll also be posting them to ChooseMyPlate.gov.