It’s a familiar excuse: eating healthy requires extra work and the food isn’t that great. Not so, say leaders of the GOOD CHOICE program, who are ready to launch a new campaign to show that it isn’t hard to make delicious, satisfying healthy foods without a lot of fuss.
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| The GOOD CHOICE program, part of the MHealthy initiative, introduces The Great Plate concept to help people make better food and portion selections. Click the image to open a larger pdf document. |
Registration begins today (Feb. 4) and runs through the 22nd for several free cooking demonstrations featuring campus chefs who will show participants how they can make healthy meals in a hurry that the entire family will enjoy. The “Quick and Tasty Meals: How to Make a Great Plate” demos will be held on all three campuses throughout March. To sign up go to MHealthy.umich.edu.
The chefs will introduce the concept of The Great Plate, which divides a 10-inch plate into quarters, says Stacy Witthoff, registered dietitian and wellness coordinator, Michigan Healthy Community. One half of the plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and the final section with grains or starchy vegetables, she says. Fruits and dairy products can be used at meals or for snacks.
“So many people are counting calories, dieting and trying to figure out what to eat and how much. With a 10-inch plate we don’t have to think so hard about it.” Witthoff says. “We are trying to teach people how to prepare healthy meals using the ‘Great Plate’ concept and, since people are on the go so often, how to prepare meals quickly.”
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To encourage attendance, GOOD CHOICE leaders are offering free gifts at each session, and participants get to sample the food as well.
Beginning in April the program also will introduce a series of tutorials on the MHealthy Web site. The Healthy Eating challenges will offer interactive lessons for three consecutive months on how to make better food choices. The topics will be weight management (April), meal planning tips (May) and fruits and vegetables (June), Witthoff says.
The Healthy Eating Challenges will take about 10-15 minutes. After completing each tutorial, participants will be entered in a drawing for prizes, including free MFit cooking classes and gift certificates to Main Dish Kitchen in Ann Arbor — a food service that allows patrons to prepare meals ahead of time to take home and cook.
The GOOD CHOICE program was launched last year with the first phase of replacing food in vending machines with healthier choice options. Later in the year menus from University Catering began offering GOOD CHOICE options as well, including healthier box lunches and snacks for meetings. In addition, the program is working with a number of University dining facilities to highlight healthier menu items with the GOOD CHOICE logo. A list of participating dining locations is listed on the Web site.
