Visit your local Homeland store 

and follow the stars. 

Decoding nutrition labels can be confusing. Guiding Stars takes the guesswork out of choosing foods that are nutritious for you and your family. Guiding Stars is an objective food rating system that rates food based on nutrient density using a scientific algorithm. Rated foods are marked with easy-to-follow tags indicating 0, 1, 2, or 3 stars. The more nutritional value a food has, the more Guiding Stars it receives. If a food doesn't receive a star it means it doesnt meet our rigorous criteria. 

for more info go to...   http://guidingstars.com

* One Guiding Star indicates good nutritional value
** Two Guiding Stars indicate better nutritional value
*** Three Guiding Stars indicate the best nutritional value
Guiding Stars is not intended to tell you what to buy, but rather point you toward foods that have more vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, whole grains and less fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium.


http://www.homelandstores.com/StoreLocator.aspx

Have you heard about the new “plate” that has replaced the old food pyramid?  

It’s called MyPlate! 

and it’s based on the most recent revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

And just this week, the USDA announced a cool new tool to 

help you take those guidelines and put them into practice.

The SuperTracker (click it...I dare you!)

It is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art resource available at ChooseMyPlate.gov designed to assist individuals as they make changes in their life to reduce their risk of chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight.  

More than just an online food and activity tracker, the SuperTracker has a “Food-A-Pedia” for looking up nutrition information for over 8,000 foods and specific ways to help you customize and personalize the information just for you.

I encourage you to check out this new tool and to consider the three main focus areas for the new Dietary Guidelines.  Here they are along with my own comments and tips to help you put these strategies into action for a healthier 2012!

Balancing Calories:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less – Try using smaller plates, bowls, cups – it really works!

• Avoid oversized portions – Portion sizes have exploded over the past 20 years…and so have our waistlines. By simply watching your portions, you can decrease your intake of excess calories.  Follow the MyPlate visual to balance your plate for optimal nutrition. 

Foods to Increase:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables – They don’t have to be organic or fresh!  Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are just as safe and nutritious as organic, but at a much better price. Frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables are a cost-effective way to get the nutrition without the extra cost. An added benefit: you won’t have to worry about the fresh produce rotting in the crisper drawer and watching your money go down the garbage disposal.

• Make at least half your grains whole grains – Add a little variety to your meals by experimenting with different whole grains in place of more processed and refined starches. Try brown rice instead of white, or snack on popcorn instead of chips.

• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk – Even 2% milk contains excess fat and saturated fat that most people just don’t need. Gradually switching to lower fat milk cuts the fat and calories, but doesn’t reduce the calcium or other essential nutrients one bit.

Foods to Reduce:

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals– and choose the foods with lower numbers.  A food that contains 140 mg of sodium or less is considered “low sodium” and if it contains 35 mg or less, it is considered “very low sodium.”

• Drink water instead of sugary drinks – Make it a point to carry a bottle of water with you during the day. Try diluting fruit juice with water to cut the sugar and calories, but still provide some flavor and fluids.

For more helpful ideas to get your plate in shape, check out the “Ten Tips” series here: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/ten-tips.html.