USDA is more than crop insurance help, and conservation program support. The agency has an extensive nutrition-focused set of programs too including the MyPlate program. And just before the new year the agency's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion launched a New Year's campaign to "help Americans turn their resolutions into real solutions for healthy eating in 2017."

The campaign is supported by new and existing My Plate, My Wins resources available on choosemyplate.gov, designed to help Americans decide where to start on their journey to healthy eating. In announcing the new programs for 2017, Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer services, said: "With the new resources on the My Plate, My Wins webpages, American can set small, attainable, healthy eating solutions to incorporate into their lifestyle now and into the future."

It's almost tradition for Americans to turn their attention to diet and exercise as a new year begins, and that includes New Year's resolutions. The agency noted that often those resolutions incorporate difficult-to-maintain goals but starting with small steps, and celebrating milestones along the way, can be more beneficial strategies for keeping resolutions. That's where the MyPlate, MyWins site can be part of the process with its resources to help. And the resources are in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020.

The core of this new program is a Make Small Changes webpage with short animated videos that demonstrate simple changes to typical meals to decrease sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Each video has a different theme including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages.

Added Angie Tagtow, executive director of USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: "Making a small change, for example, switching from two slices of pepperoni pizza for lunch to one slice of veggie pizza, a salad and an apple decreases sodium and saturated fat intake, while adding items from other food groups." Tagtow explained that new animated videos on the site help support that notion.

And to supplement the videos there are new meal-specific webpages with nutrition information, more examples of small ways to improve typical meals, and five new My Plate, My Win tip sheets offering suggestions for making healthier choices. The tip sheets help make suggestions for a range of dining environments too including potlucks and parties, coffee shops, buffets, Italian restaurants, and Asian cuisine takeout.

New Year's challenge and more resources

On January 2, 2017, SuperTracker will kick off a public New Year’s Challenge that encourages participants to start slowly and develop a healthy eating style over time. Over five weeks, participants will be challenged to incorporate the five MyPlate food groups – fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy – into each day. To officially join the challenge and receive encouraging messages along the way, individuals will need to create a free SuperTracker account.

The MyPlate, MyWins landing page has many additional resources to assist Americans in modifying their meals in order to maintain healthier eating habits throughout their lives. The Stories from Families and Individuals page includes videos from relatable families about their healthy eating solutions and testimonials from the MyPlate staff. There also are ways to get involved for partners, professionals, and consumers. Additionally, CNPP encourages consumers to share their real solutions and wins via Twitter and Facebook using #MyPlateMyWins.

Source: USDA