Eating nutritious food is important at any life stage, as it’s never too early or too late to eat healthier. The U.S. Department of Agriculture now provides a website that addresses diet-related health disparities and food access inequities to help with achieving good health.
USDA’s free resource Start Simple with MyPlate provides the tools to help people incorporate healthy food and eating habits into their life at any age. Start Simple also meets people where they are and supports them through affordable, healthy eating choices USDA’s most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 is the first time recommendations have been provided by life stage, from birth to older adulthood.
Start Simple is based on the idea that even the smallest changes can benefit health and impact diet-related diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Start Simple with MyPlate maps out how to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives for people who can’t or choose not to consume dairy. When deciding what to eat or drink, Start Simple provides tasty options that are full of nutrients while limiting added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. And, when ready to shop, this resource can pinpoint where to find cost-saving opportunities to eat healthy on a budget locally.
Here’s how to make healthy eating simple and affordable:
- Find your starting point: Take the quick MyPlate Quiz to see how your eating habits stack up against the MyPlate recommendations. Based on your answers you’ll receive tailored resources and a personal quiz results code to sync with the Start Simple with MyPlate app.
- Set simple goals based on your personal needs: Use the Start Simple with MyPlate app to help you set daily meal- and snack-based goals to help you eat healthier. Sync your results from the MyPlate Quiz for a personalized experience. Join challenges, see progress, and earn badges to celebrate successes.
- Learn how much you should eat: To find out what and how much to eat from each of the food groups, get your own personalized MyPlate Plan.
- Learn how to eat healthier at any life stage: Healthy eating is important at any age, whether you are a breastfeeding mom or an older adult. Life Stages | MyPlate gives recommendations on how to eat healthier for every life stage.
- Put your plan into action: Discover recipes on MyPlate Kitchen. Check out hundreds of healthy, budget-friendly recipes that provide detailed nutrition and food group information to help you choose recipes that fit your needs.
- Save money and eat healthy: Use Healthy Eating on a Budget to help you save money at the store by making a shopping plan, shopping smart, and preparing healthy meals to stretch food dollars, including SNAP benefits.
- Explore MyPlate.gov for your go-to, trusted, nutrition tips and information built on the basics of healthy eating.
