Tag Archives: MyPlate

Kids in the Kitchen

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Not only is cooking with your child a great way to bond with them, it’s also a good way to broaden the types of foods they eat. Children are more likely to enjoy a food if they see how to cook it and help in the process. If you’re unsure about what to make for dinner, invite your kids to make one of their favorite take-out meals at home. Chinese-inspired meals are a great choice! Continue reading →

Nigerian meal of Chicken Stew and Sautéed veggies

MyPlate-Inspired Nigerian Meals

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Do you need ideas for making healthy meals for your family? Fruits and vegetables can easily be mixed into several different dishes to make them even tastier! MyPlate encourages you to make that half your plate fruits and vegetables. Get inspired with new ways to add fruits and veggies with tasty Nigerian dishes. Try out Nigerian cuisine with this simple and delicious Kidney Beans and Sweet Peppers recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 green peppers, sliced into strips
  • 2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 low sodium chicken bouillon cube

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to pan and sauté for a few minutes until soft.
  2. Add peppers and stir. Saute for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add kidney beans and bouillon cube. Lower heat and stir until bouillon cube is dissolved and beans are heated through.
peppers, garlic, and ginger on wooden table

Nigerian spices make veggies tasty!

Here are a few ideas from Nigerian cooking you can use to make family meals more affordable and healthy, but just as delicious.

  • Choose canned or frozen fruits and vegetables instead of the fresh options.
  • Opt for the low or no sodium options if available. Low and no sodium options can usually be found at any grocery store in most vegetables and fruits.
  • Buy dried spices instead of fresh spices to lower the cost while still keeping traditional Nigerian flavor. Use garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes to add Nigerian flair to your meals.
  • Mix vegetables into main dishes, soups, and stews for more nutrition.
  • Make a large batch and eat leftovers to save time. Set aside time to cook over the weekend and have yummy dinners in a flash for your busy weeknights.

Using MyPlate and Nigerian-inspired dishes to build your weekly menu is an easy way to get your daily fruits and vegetables. For more Nigerian-inspired recipes, try Creamy Chicken Paprika Stew or Jollof Rice! Which dish are you and your family going to try first?

Little boy sharing a taste with his mom while cooking

Take a Taste of Nigerian-Inspired Meals

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Feeling uninspired when trying to cook healthy meals? Nigerian meals offer new flavors for more exciting family meals. You can fix your favorite dishes using Nigerian staples while eating smart. Traditional Nigerian foods include maiz, yams, cassava, and plantains. Typical Nigerian meals are tomato stew, porridge, soups such as egusi soup, and jollof rice. All of these foods can be used to create a Nigerian-inspired meal that fits MyPlate! Continue reading →

variety of healthy foods on wooden background

Healthy Food or Healthy Diet?

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Sometimes our efforts to eat smart miss the forest for the trees. We spend a lot of time wondering if individual foods are healthy. But we don’t always pay the same attention to our overall diet pattern. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate have helped to shift the focus from nutrients and food groups to healthy eating patterns. This makes sense, because we eat meals, not just protein and Vitamin A or chicken breast or butternut squash. It also helps remind us that everything we eat or drink matters. And those choices day by day can impact our health over a lifetime. There are many ways to eat a healthy diet. Your own eating pattern reflects your taste, culture, traditions, and budget. So how can you shift your thinking from eating smart foods to eating a smart diet? Continue reading →

colorful arrangement of fruits and veggies in shape of a rainbow

Eat a Rainbow!

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Fruits and vegetables come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors. Eating more fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, like cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. Fruits and vegetables provide important nutrients for health and maintenance of your body. Different types of fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients, so it’s important to get a good variety. An easy way to make sure you’re getting all the different nutrients is to choose a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to fill half your plate. Continue reading →