If you want to get in shape, you’ve got to get your plate in shape, too.

That’s the message of National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education campaign held each March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. The 2012 theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new “MyPlate” encourages you to fill half of your plate with fruits and non starchy vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and healthy salads — the more colorful the more nutritious! Then add grains to a quarter of the plate and proteins to the remaining quarter of the plate. Add a serving of low-fat dairy, and you’re following the “MyPlate” guidelines. Limit empty calories such as sugar sweetened beverages and candy.

Learn more about National Nutrition Month at www.eatright.org/nnm/. Find more information on the USDA’s Choose My Plate program at www.choosemyplate.gov/. Also visit www.myeatsmartmovemore.com/.

Robin High of Greenville is director of the Pitt County Health Department’s Nutrition Program. Call her at 902-2388 or email rfhigh@pittcountync.gov,

Get Your Plate in Shape

Right size your portions! Use a smaller plate, bowl and glass. Measure foods before you eat. When eating out, choose a smaller size option, share a dish or take home part of your meal. If you are out, check and compare the nutrition information. If you are in doubt, ask your server how the recipes are prepared.

Rethink your drink! Cut calories and sugar by drinking water, unsweetened beverages or low-fat milk instead of regular soda, sweet tea, energy drinks and sports drinks.

Enjoy your meals at home and at the table! Eating fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too many calories and unwanted weight gain later on. Eat at home more often so you know exactly what you are eating and what ingredients are in your meals. Use this time to spend with family and friends and really savor the meal and fellowship.

Practice healthy cooking! Steam fresh or frozen green beans, carrots or broccoli in a bowl with a small amount of water in the microwave for a quick side dish. Bake, broil or grill your favorite meals to decrease saturated fat.

Plan ahead! Plan your meals and snacks for the week before you go grocery shopping — sometimes it helps to write it down. Have healthy snacks available to grab-and-go. Cut up a batch of bell peppers, carrots or broccoli and pre-package them to use when time is limited; you can enjoy them on a salad, with hummus or in a veggie wrap. Keep a bowl of fruit on the table or counter where it is visible.

Start your day with a healthy breakfast! Top your whole grain cereal with bananas, peaches or strawberries; add blueberries to pancakes; drink 100 percent orange or grapefruit juice. Or try fruit mixed with low-fat yogurt.

Get in your grains! Include more fiber in your meals by eating more whole grain cereals, brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes, and whole-wheat pasta in macaroni and cheese.

Make healthy substitutions!When recipes such as dips call for sour cream, substitute plain yogurt. Use fat-free evaporated milk instead of cream, and try ricotta cheese as a substitute for cream cheese. Herbs and spices can really make a traditional dish a family favorite. Great choices include garlic, red pepper, oregano, lemon pepper, and many others. For more substitutions, visit the Eat Smart Move More website at www.myeatsmartmovemore.com/.

Select healthy proteins!Eat seafood in place of meat or poultry twice a week. Good choices include salmon, trout or herring. Baked chicken, lean pork and lean cuts of beef are also good choices. One egg a day, on average, doesn’t increase risk for heart disease, so make eggs part of your weekly choices. Just remember, a usual portion of protein is about 3-4 ounces, the size of a deck of cards or the inside palm of your hand.

— U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion