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Super Tracker Tips for the Food Groups

If you are looking for quick tips (suitable for sharing on social media) or reminders you can use to jumpstart a healthy diet… you’ve come to the right place! Check out the shortlist of tips for each food group below and download Super Tracker Tips for more great ideas!

Grains

  • Add sweetness to your whole-grain cereals with fruit.
  • Top cereal with sliced bananas, canned peaches, raisins, or frozen fruit!
  • Use up leftover whole-grain bread or crackers as bulk in a meatloaf (or meat-less loaf). Check online for recipes.
  • Need a snack? Try a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips.
  • 1 medium-sized muffin is about 2.5 oz of grain. Do you know how many ounces of grain you need each day?
  • What do whole grains do for you? Whole grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies.

Vegetables

  • Grill vegetable kabobs as part of a barbecue meal. Try tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions.
  • Did you know there are over 100 varieties of squash? Check online for a new recipe today.
  • Try vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, squash, and artichokes to use in different dishes.
  • Can you name four different ways you like to eat tomatoes? Try something new and healthy like tomato pie recipe.
  • Rather than buying a vegetable pizza from a restaurant or a store, try sprucing up a cheese pizza with your favorite vegetables.
  • Don’t know what to do with leftovers? Puree roasted vegetables with chicken stock to make a hearty and flavorful soup.
  • Need a snack? Have a glass of low-sodium vegetable juice and a few whole-wheat crackers to take away the hunger pangs.
  • Tip for eating out: Share entrées with a friend. Have one person order a meat dish, and the other order a vegetable dish or a large salad.

Fruits

  • Instead of butter and syrup, top pancakes with unsweetened applesauce and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
  • For dessert, have a baked apple or a pear, or browse online for another healthy fruit dessert idea.
  • Use fruit in your holiday stuffing–try apples, cranberries, raisins, or prunes. Check online for recipes.
  • For an easy breakfast or snack on the go, try a fruit smoothie with frozen peaches, berries, and low-fat yogurt.
  • Choose fruit! Ask for fruit, like sliced apples, a fruit cup, or 100% fruit juice at a fast food restaurant instead of fried foods.

Protein Foods

  • Top your salad with a hard-cooked egg to add protein and other nutrients.
  • Be food safe! Cook whole cuts of beef, lamb, veal, and pork to 145°F. Let meat rest for at least 3 minutes before carving or eating.
  • Meat contains protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E, and B Vitamins. For less fat, go with lean cuts.
  • For an easy supper–slow cook skinned chicken pieces, veggies, and seasonings in reduced-sodium chicken broth.
  • Roasted pork tenderloin goes well with fruit. Serve with a fruit salad or a fruit salsa.
    Chicken and white bean chili is a tasty way to combine protein foods with a great flavor and bounty of nutrients.
  • For car trips, pack a mixture of unsalted nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for a crunchy, protein-packed snack.

Dairy

  • Instead of high-fat pasta sauces like alfredo, try part-skim ricotta mixed with pesto for a creamy sauce.
  • To get calcium at lunch, use low-fat cheese on your sandwich.
  • Whole milk and regular cheese are higher in saturated fat. Low-fat or fat-free versions have the calcium without the fat.
  • Calcium is a nutrient of public health concern. You can meet your calcium needs by drinking fat-free milk or eating low-fat yogurt.
  • Use low-fat milk to make bread pudding. Check online for recipes.

SuperTracker Tips for the 5 Food Groups (PDF)

For more information visit: ChooseMyPlate.gov