Keep It Balanced means making informed choices and combining a sensible, balanced diet with appropriate exercise in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The food and beverages you consume put energy into your body and physical activity helps burn these calories. It's a simple formula: Energy In = Energy Out.

What are the Dietary Guidelines?

The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans are science based recommendations for people ages two and up for choosing a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough physical activity, and keeping foods safe to avoid food borne illness. What are those recommendations?

  1. Build a healthy plate
    • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
    • Use low fat dairy products
    • Make half your grains whole
    • Vary your protein choices
    • Keep your food safe

  2. Cut back on foods high in solid fats, sugars and salt
    • Use food labels to help you make better choices

  3. Eat the right amount of calories for you
    • Enjoy your foods, but eat less
    • If you drink alcohol, do so sensibly
    • When you eat out, pay attention to calories

  4. Be physically active your way
    • Get at least 30-90 minutes most days of the week to manage your weight

This is a simplified summary of the Dietary Guidelines. The expanded summary can be found at http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm.