Introduction

Food and nutrition play a crucial role in health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Healthy eating patterns (along with regular physical activity) can help people achieve and maintain good health.

Below are a few resources to assist in finding the healthiest eating patterns that work for you.

Build a Healthy Eating Style with help from the USDA’s MyPlate series of resources.

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Evaluate Your Nutrition and Diet Habits – Complete Survey for a Chance to Win a MUSC Promotional Prize 

Share your story with us on what you already do that contributes to your nutritional well-being and why it is beneficial to you. At the end of each month, we will draw from the submissions and award multiple MUSC Promotional Prizes (e.g. water bottle, beach towel, yoga mat)!

QR code. Takes user to Redcap promotional survey about evaluating their financial wellness.

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Useful Resources

Content below extracted from: www.myplate.gov

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  • Focus on making healthy food and beverage choices from all five food groups including fruitsvegetablesgrainsprotein foods, and dairy to get the nutrients you need.
  • Eat the right amount of calories for you based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Get started, click on the link above, then click the “start” button to begin entering your information into the calculator.
  • Exploring additional key topics can help you avoid overweight and obesity and reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

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  • Use Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to find amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in the foods and beverages you choose.
  • Look for food and drink choices that are lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
    • Eating fewer calories from foods high in saturated fat and added sugars can help you manage your calories and prevent overweight and obesity. Most of us eat too many foods that are high in saturated fat and added sugar.
    • Eating foods with less sodium can reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

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  • Think of each change as a personal “win” on your path to living healthier. Start with a few of these small changes:
    • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
      • Focus on whole fruits.
      • Vary your veggies.
    • Make half your grains whole grains.
    • Move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.
    • Vary your protein routine.

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  • Create settings where healthy choices are available and affordable to you and others in your community.
  • Professionals, policymakers, partners, industry, families, and individuals can help others in their journey to make healthy eating a part of their lives.

Every 5 years, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) publish a report containing
nutritional and dietary information and guidelines based on the most recent
body of scientific and medical knowledge. They also have a variety of other
resources that healthcare practitioners of all disciplines can utilize for the patients
and populations they serve. Use the link at the end of the citation below to
access the many report and other resources.

U.S. Department of
Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available
at DietaryGuidelines.gov

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Eat Locally, Seasonally and Mindfully – Try a Recipe Using a Local Crop

Eating foods grown locally boost nutrition, minimizes environmental impact and benefits the local economy. Local eating is easy to do in our area which benefits from a robust agricultural community and long growing season. Reap the benefits for yourself by purchasing local foods.

Try one new recipe using a locally grown food. 

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