Pyramid Your Pantry
The Food Guide Pyramid is a wonderful tool to help you eat a more nutritious diet. But many people still have trouble combining foods to prepare healthy meals. To help, you may want to organize your pantry accordingly.
Pretend your pantry illustrates the pyramid. Start by taping a copy inside of your pantry door. Then begin with the bottom shelf.
Place all grain, pasta, crackers, cereal, and bread items on the bottom shelf.
Move up to the next shelf for fruits and vegetables. Obviously, many of these need to go in the refrigerator, but the canned fruits and dried vegetables can be shelved together.
The next shelf is for protein-rich foods, such as canned tuna, chicken, salmon; dried beans, peas, and legumes; dry milk powder and pudding mixes.
On the top shelf (don't leave too much space), place your oils, cooking fats, cake mixes, cookies, and candies.
You can also reorganize your refrigerator in a similar pattern.
When you begin to plan your meal, start at the bottom shelf and then choose an item from each shelf. Combine foods to complete your pyramid. You are now on your way to a healthier diet.
More on: Nutritional Resources for Families
From Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents. Copyright © 1995 by Sandra K. Nissenberg, Margaret L. Bogle, and Audrey C. Wright. All rights reserved. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To order this book visit www.wiley.com.
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