New Dietary Guidelines Recommend Filling Half Your Plate with Fruits and Vegetables

Guidelines Also Suggest Limiting Sodium, Added Sugar, Solid Fats

HOCKESSIN, Del., Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Less sodium, added sugar, and solid fat, and fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables; the government's recommendations about what we should eat have been updated with a few key changes. Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) examine the latest developments in nutritional science and release a new version of their Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This is done to keep them current with new developments in nutritional science. The guidelines serve as the basis for federal food and nutrition programs like the USDA school breakfast and lunch programs.

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"By following the new guidelines and filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal or snack, you'll be eating more of what your body needs to be healthy and at your optimum weight," said Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), the nonprofit entity in partnership with CDC behind the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® national public health initiative. "At Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, we've designed the America's More Matters Pledge: Fruits & Veggies . . . Today and Every Day! as a way to promise to eat more delicious, nutritious, fruits and vegetables for your better health."

"The pledge is a way to keep you focused on eating fruits and vegetables. You pledge to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at each meal and snack, and the website will make following through on that pledge easy and enjoyable."

The website has a wide array of tips and advice for eating more fruits and vegetables while limiting sodium, added sugars, and solid fats, just the goals recommended by the new dietary guidelines. It features a Menu Plan of the Week that spells out a full day's eating plan including, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and either two or three snacks that total less than 2,000 calories and 1,500 mg of sodium. The website's Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Recipe of the Week is a fun way to try a new (healthy!) dish each week. The Recipe of the Week is chosen from a database of over 1,000 recipes, many of which can be made in 30 minutes or less. You can search through all these recipes on the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters website. The website also features a Video Center with videos about fruit and vegetables selection, storage, and preparation, along with tips for eating healthy on a budget.

Learn more about Fruits & Veggies—More Matters and the America's More Matters Pledge at www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. For more information about the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, visit www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm.

About Produce for Better Health Foundation

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) fruit and vegetable education foundation.  Since 1991, PBH works to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health.  PBH achieves success through industry and government collaboration, first with the 5 A Day program and now with the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative.  Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is the nation's largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative with Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators in each state, territory and the military. To learn more, visit www.PBHFoundation.org and www.FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Follow Fruits & Veggies—More Matters on Facebook or Twitter.

PBH is also a member and co-chair with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), consisting of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry working to collaboratively and synergistically achieve increased nationwide access and demand for all forms of fruits and vegetables for improved public health.  To learn more, visit www.NFVA.org.

SOURCE Produce for Better Health Foundation