No, You Don’t Have to Choose Between Your Wallet and Waistline

No, You Don’t Have to Choose Between Your Wallet and Waistline

If talk of food groups and balanced diets conjure up images of pyramids girded by grains and cereals at the bottom, you might be dating yourself.  Pyramids, as it were, are “so 1990′s.”

A more relevant icon is the talk of the table: the dinner plate. More specifically, “MyPlate,” a brand new healthy eating icon that teaches Americans how to, meal by meal, serve up a more diverse and nourishing diet. MyPlate, experts say, simplifies nutrition, forever changing the notion that healthful eating has to be complicated.

But, while the new “plate” emblem excels at simplicity, some critics say this comes at a cost.  In fact, recent research suggests that the new MyPlate program puts such a heavy emphasis on fruits and vegetables – they should occupy one whole half of the plate – that truly adhering to the new guidelines could be financially unfeasible for families on a lean budget.  Case in point: The most recent study, published last week in the journal Health Affairs, estimates that the average American will need to spend an extra $380 a year just buying foods that help “make up” the 700 mg potassium shortfall most adults experience on any given day (on average, we consume only 2,800 of the recommended 3,500 mg).

So, what to do? We asked URMC’s chief clinical dietitian Jennifer Glen if healthy eating – and budget-friendly eating – really have to be mutually exclusive. Luckily, she had some really encouraging news and smart tips for folks looking to snag fresh produce on the cheap.

To hear her insights, just watch the clip below.

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*  The above story is adapted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center

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