Provided by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Family meals are a great way to spend time together and try out new, healthy recipes. If it’s not possible for your family to eat together at home regularly, make time to cook together on the weekend or share an afternoon snack.
When making meals at home, choose foods from the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy) to build healthy meals that meet your calorie and nutrient needs. Plan your weekly meals. Aim for variety to include the five food groups throughout the day.
Try these tips:
- Use the MyPlate Plan to help you plan your meals throughout the week: myplate.gov/myplateplan.
- If possible, prepare ingredients in advance of cooking. For example, chop vegetables and refrigerate them until you are ready to use them.
- Buy frozen (without butter, sauce, or added seasoning) and low-sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables to ensure that you always have some basic ingredients on hand.
- Try baking, broiling, grilling or steaming instead of frying.
- Cook with herbs, spices, lemon juice or no-salt seasonings, which add flavor without adding sodium.
- Prepare extra servings of a favorite, healthy dish to eat throughout the week. Making leftovers part of your plan can save time.
- Start collecting simple, healthy recipes. Organize them online or in a file box or binder. Visit myplate.gov/myplatekitchen/recipes for new recipes, cookbooks and more healthy cooking resources.
- Keep food safety in mind and check out food safety “dos and don’ts” on food shopping, storing and meal prep. Visit fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/foodsafety-yourkitchen.
Visit nal.usda.gov/legacy/fnic/ethnic-and-cultural-resources-0 for a variety of ethnic and cultural resources.
