center for nutrition policy and promotion

Growing up in central New Jersey, I loved to eat the fresh fruit from the two pear trees my family grew in our backyard. I found it special that we had the chance to grow these healthy treats at home. Though I didn’t know it at the time, pears grow commercially in almost all 50 U.S. states, and are even the state fruit of Oregon. Even so, anyone who’s ever eaten a fresh, juicy pear knows they’re rather delicate and don’t always travel well.

Summer is in full swing with warm, long days to enjoy with friends and family. The season offers a perfect time to stock your freezer with vegetables to have on-hand. Frozen vegetables are simple to store and an easy way to make half your plate fruits and vegetables year round. One popular freezer favorite for every season is frozen broccoli.

Did you know the southern states of Georgia and South Carolina both name the peach as their state fruit? Whether they’re fresh, canned, dried or frozen, peaches can easily be included in a healthy eating pattern. Canned peaches are not only delicious and nutritious, but are easy to use because they’re pre-cut and washed. When selecting canned peaches, choose ones that are unsweetened or canned in water or 100 percent fruit juice.

Interested in being part of our process as we develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)? Start today at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

As 2017 has come to a close, the What’s Cooking team at USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is joining the #2017BestNine fun – a social media trend where users share their favorite or most popular moments of the year – by taking a look back at our top-viewed recipes. From quinoa to quesadillas, we are proud to share our users’ favorite recipes.

The energy and excitement of beginning a new year makes January a popular time for making New Year’s resolutions. Often, two of the most popular resolutions focus on health: to get fit and to lose weight.

Last year, more than 46 million turkeys were carved and eaten at Thanksgiving. Turkey is typically accompanied by a host of side dishes and desserts, making the Thanksgiving meal by far one of the largest meals most people will cook this year.

Do you remember learning about the food groups in school? You may have been taught using the Food Wheel, Food Guide Pyramid or MyPyramid depending on your age. Kids today learn about the food groups from MyPlate. Now that the back-to-school season is settling down, the nutritionists at MyPlate are offering a back-to-basics refresher lesson on the food groups.

June is an exciting month filled with picnics, cookouts, and outdoor time. Along with sun and fun, June also brings us National Dairy Month. Most Americans do not meet recommendations for the dairy food group, which includes milk and many of the foods made from milk, such as yogurt and cheese. Calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage) is also part of the dairy food group, as well as lactose-free and lower-lactose milk products. When choosing foods from this group, choose fat-free or low-fat options.

A variety of students, faculty, and wellness organizations promote the messages of MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans through our MyPlate On Campus initiative. As many colleges and universities prepare for the end of the semester, we wanted to look back on MyPlate activities conducted this past year by our partners at The Ohio State University (OSU). Check out their guest post below to learn more about their MyPlate-inspired events!

Guest Post by: Michaela Martin, Wellness Coordinator, Office of Student Life Student Wellness Center; Kelsey Scherer and Lauren Jedlicka, Student Wellness Ambassadors at The Ohio State University