The New American Plate

for Weight

Loss

Recipes for a healthy weight and a healthy life

The New American Plate for Weight Loss

Table of Contents What Is the New American Plate?

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Plant Foods Offer Double Protection

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Weight and Cancer: What’s the Link?

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How to Evaluate Your Weight

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What’s a Low-Calorie Food?

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What Does “Processed” Mean?

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Figuring Out Portion Sizes

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Strategies to Help Cut Portion Sizes

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Calories and Your Body Type

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Physical Activity Matters

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A Dozen Low-Calorie Snacks

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www.aicr.org

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What Is the New American Plate? If you’re like many Americans, you want to lose a few pounds. Current national statistics say that 68 percent of us are overweight or obese. Those extra pounds put us at higher risk for serious chronic diseases – not only heart disease and diabetes, but cancer as well, according to a large and growing number of studies. Extra body weight is becoming the leading concern among major health organizations. Worldwide, people are becoming less physically active while convenience foods are becoming more available. That means people are eating more calories while burning fewer calories through physical activity. Reversing this unhealthy trend – along with eating more healthy, cancer-fighting foods – is one reason why AICR developed the New American Plate. The New American Plate is not a “diet.” It is a simple model for eating in a way that prevents cancer and keeps your weight in a healthy range – while doing it in delicious ways so you don’t feel deprived.

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AICR Guidelines for Cancer Prevention The New American Plate is based on recommendations from the expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, published by the American Institute for Cancer Research, and its updates. The following three guidelines sum up the expert report’s recommended changes: • Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid processed meat. • Be physically active every day in any way for 30 minutes or more. • Aim to be a healthy weight throughout life. And always remember – do not smoke or chew tobacco.

Plant Foods Offer Double Protection

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are the low-calorie plant foods at the heart of the New American Plate. These plant foods also protect our health with vitamins, fiber and minerals. Plus, they contain natural compounds called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals protect the plants themselves by creating color, scent, taste and other features. Scientists are discovering hundreds of different phytochemicals in plant-based foods. These compounds may work together when we eat them to prevent damage to our cells and DNA. By comparison, animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products don’t contain phytochemicals or

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dietary fiber. Although they supply essential protein, vitamins and minerals, animal foods are best consumed in small portions. For cancer prevention, all it takes is following a simple rule of thumb: Make 2⁄3 (or more) of the foods on your plate plantbased (vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans); and 1⁄3 (or less) animal-based (lean red meat, poultry, fish or low-fat dairy). To reduce risk of colorectal cancer, also remember to avoid processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, sausage, bologna and other meats preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding chemical preservatives. For weight management, gradually reduce your portion sizes of higher calorie foods. But choose plenty of vegetables and fruits because most are naturally low in calories. Their high water content also helps to keep you feeling full. The New American Plate recipe brochures (see page 23) help you to prepare them in tasty ways without adding more calories from fat and sugar.

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Weight and Cancer: What’s the Link? How do we know that eating for a healthy weight can lower your cancer risk? AICR’s expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective and its updates, found convincing evidence that too much body fat increases risk for cancers of the: breast in postmenopausal women colon and rectum endometrium esophagus kidney pancreas

Because of the strong evidence, AICR recommends maintaining a healthy weight throughout life to best reduce your chances of developing cancer. How does being overweight increase your cancer risk? There are several possible ways that increased body weight may contribute to increased cancer risk. We know that the fat we store in our bodies is more than just extra padding. Fat cells also produce the hormone estrogen, which promotes cell growth. They also produce proteins that cause inflammation and insulin resistance. Fat at the waist may be especially active in producing these hormones and proteins. So overweight people – particularly if they are apple-shaped – often have high levels of these substances circulating in

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their blood all the time, which may lead to increased cancer risk. Research on this is underway. Along with avoiding tobacco in any form, AICR experts stress that maintaining a healthy weight may be the single most important way to protect against cancer. Here’s what AICR recommends for beginning to control your weight: • Avoid sugary drinks. Limit your consumption of fatty and sugary calorie-dense foods. • Be physically active for at least 30 minutes each day; aim for 60 minutes of daily physical activity for better weight control. Avoid being inactive. • Eat a wider variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.

How to Evaluate Your Weight Serving sizes were much smaller 20 or 30 years ago. With oversized portions and more Americans overweight and obese, it can be difficult to know how much to eat and what a healthy weight is. As a result, it can feel normal to be overweight even though it’s not healthy. To get an idea of what your healthy weight might be, several different tools are available: Body mass index (BMI). This is a calculation based on your weight in regard to your height. BMI is generally an accurate measure of overweight and obesity, unless a person has a lot of muscle with not much body fat. (The opposite is also true:

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if someone has too little muscle mass with too much body fat, their BMI score may not be accurate.) To find your BMI, visit www.aicr.org/bmi. Waist circumference. A measuring tape can tell you if your waist size is healthy. Health-care providers sometimes use waist size to get an idea of disease risk. Waist measurements above AICR’s guidelines – more than 31.5 inches for women and more than 37 inches for men – can mean there is fat around internal organs and increased hormone levels, increasing cancer risk. Bathroom scale. Studies show that people who successfully avoid weight gain (or regain) are more likely to weigh themselves regularly. Weekly weight checks allow you to catch small gains before they become large ones. Watching your weight closely might help you maintain a healthy weight, but remember water retention or loss and other factors may result in weight fluctuations. Clothing fit. Less reliable but nevertheless a sign, last year’s belts and non-elastic clothing can tell you when it’s time to lose a few pounds by how well they fit and fasten this year.

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What’s a Low-Calorie Food? Here’s how to spot the kinds of foods that have fewer calories – and what kinds do not – without having to do any math. Just ask yourself: How many calories are you getting per bite? A bite of fresh apple might give you 20 calories. The same size bite of chocolate, which has sugar and fat, might give you 200 calories – or 10 times more. Why? It has to do with sugar and/or fat content. Most plant-based foods start out low in calorie density and high in water content. If they are prepared and highly processed with a lot of fat and/or sugar – for example, potatoes turned into French fries or apples cooked into fritters – they become high in calorie density. It may only take a few bites to give you the number of calories you would get from a whole meal that is low in calorie density. That means you can eat more food for fewer calories by sticking to low calorie dense foods. Here’s a comparison:

Old American Plate Lunch Breaded chicken filet (3.5 oz.) Mayonnaise Swiss cheese Sub roll Potato chips Calories: 810 Fat: 54 grams (saturated fat 16 grams) Sodium: 1,080 milligrams Dietary Fiber: 4 grams

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New American Plate Lunch Grilled chicken breast (3 oz.) Roasted red peppers Caramelized onions Whole-wheat bread Side salad Reduced-fat dressing Calories: 380 Fat: 6 grams (less than 1 gram of saturated fat) Sodium: 590 milligrams Dietary fiber: 6 grams

The lower calorie meal actually contains a larger quantity of food. That’s because vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are more filling but have fewer calories bite-for-bite. You also get more nutrients and more cancer protection by eating the lower calorie meal. That’s one of the principles guiding the New American Plate.

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What Does “Processed” Mean? Minimally processed foods. Whole grains are a good example. When a grain like wheat is stripped of its husk, germ and bran, it is being “refined” into white flour. This processing strips away its natural phytochemicals and fiber. That’s why whole-wheat bread and wholegrain pasta are healthier for you. Dietary fiber in whole grains (and vegetables, fruits and beans) reduces your cancer risk and helps your digestive system function smoothly. Also, whole wheat’s phytochemicals and vitamins may offer some protection from cancer. Other whole grains include brown rice (instead of white), barley, bulgur and quinoa. Highly processed foods. Processed meats are a good example. These include sausage, bacon, ham, hot dogs, bologna, salami and other cured, smoked and salted meats and those that contain added preservatives like nitrates increase colon cancer. The AICR expert report and its updates concluded that there is convincing evidence that processed meat increases risk of colorectal cancer. AICR recommends avoiding processed meat most of the time. The more a food is altered – chicken into chicken nuggets, potatoes into potato chips – often the more fat, sugar and/or salt have been used to make the final product.

Figuring Out Portion Sizes One way to put your portions into perspective is by comparing the amount you usually eat with the USDA standard serving size.

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1. Pour out your usual portion on a plate. 2. Measure a standard serving of the same food onto another plate of the same size.

Standard Serving Sizes Food

Serving

Looks Like

Chopped Vegetables

H cup

H baseball or rounded handful for average adult

Raw Leafy 1 cup Vegetables (such as lettuce)

1 baseball or fist of an average adult

Fresh Fruit

1 medium piece H cup chopped

1 baseball

Dried Fruit

G cup

1 golf ball or scant handful for average adult

Pasta, Rice, H cup Cooked Cereal

H baseball or rounded handful for average adult

H baseball or rounded handful for average adult

Ready-to-Eat Cereal

1 oz., which varies from G cup to 1 G cups (check label)

Meat, Poultry, Seafood

3 oz. (boneless cooked weight from 4 oz. raw)

Eggs

1 whole egg

Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp.

1 ping pong ball

Dried Beans or Tofu

H cup cooked

H baseball or rounded handful for average adult

Nuts

N cup

Level handful for average adult

Cheese

1 H oz.

4 dice

Deck of cards

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

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3. Compare using the chart on page 11. You may want to measure or use a food scale to weigh the amount you usually eat and adjust to a smaller portion. How many standard servings are you eating? It could be more servings – and more calories – than you burn off. If so, gradually cut back on the number and size of the servings you eat – maybe by one-quarter for the first week, then more if your weight isn’t going down. It may help to keep a diary of everything you eat and drink for a week. That way you’ll get a true picture of where to substitute lower calorie foods and beverages.

Strategies to Help Cut Portion Sizes Shopping: • Make a shopping list of healthy foods for the week. • On packaged food Nutrition Facts labels, check the serving size and note that the calorie content listed applies to this portion. • Buy a greater variety of vegetables to try for snacks and meals. (You can find delicious healthy vegetable recipes at www .aicr.org, including The New American Plate brochure Veggies to view or download.) • Avoid buying unhealthy snacks (such as chips, cookies and ice cream) and buy healthy ones, such as carrot sticks, fruit and low-fat yogurt). • Choose whole-grain products and avoid buying highly processed foods.

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• Avoid buying more than you need. Having too much on hand, especially when it comes to snacks and desserts, can lead to eating them more quickly and in larger portions. • Look out for calories in beverages. Sugary sodas and healthy-sounding juices or other drinks can add loads of calories. Alcoholic beverages also add up. Drink mainly water and unsweetened coffee or tea. Preparing: • Use measuring cups and spoons. • Cook in low-fat ways like baking, steaming, microwaving, poaching, roasting or sautéeing in a little healthy fat like olive oil. Avoid deep frying. • Be creative by adding new combinations of colorful vegetables to your soups, stews, salads, pastas and rice.

Eating: • Use small plates and glasses. • Eat smaller meals. Try to eat slowly and pause for at least 15 minutes before having seconds. That will allow your brain to register how full your stomach really is. But do remember to eat three balanced meals a day, including a healthy breakfast. Studies show that Continued on page 16

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The Ne 2⁄ (or more) 3

vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans

1⁄ (or less) 3

animal protein

ew American Plate

Start reshaping your diet by looking at your plate. Is the greater proportion of your meal plant-based? Are your portion sizes appropriate to your activity level? The snack suggestions starting on page 20 offer great flavors with fewer calories. For a healthy weight and life, put lots of them on your plate and cut back on animal-based foods.

eating a breakfast that includes low-fat protein, fruits and/or vegetables and a serving of whole grains helps you control weight by keeping your appetite in check and your energy flowing. Snack on food you have leftover from healthful meals. • Scan buffets first then choose small portions of one or two high-calorie foods you really want. Balance your plate with plenty of low-calorie vegetables and fruits. • Load up salads with greens and veggies and skip the higher fat meats and cheeses. Ask for low-fat dressing on the side and limit the portion to one or two tablespoons. Avoid creamy/cheesy dressings and choose light vinaigrettes. Use herbs for more flavor. • Share entrées with a dining companion. At restaurants, ask for a take-out box and put half of your food in it before you start eating. • Before a meal, eat some broth-based (not cream-based) soup or light salad. They may help curb your appetite so you don’t eat too much of higher calorie foods in the main meal. • Avoid eating high-calorie foods at home. When you eat healthy snacks, serve yourself a small portion on a plate instead of eating out of the package. • Eat small portions of healthy snacks mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon. Snacks are a good way to add more vegetables and fruits. (See page 20 for tasty snack ideas.)

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Staying positive: • Forbidding any one food isn’t the best plan: you’ll probably want it all the more. Instead, have a plan to indulge in a small high calorie treat sometimes and savor them when you do. Or substitute a healthier food: for example, instead of ice cream, try some non-fat Greek yogurt with fresh berries and a sprinkling of nuts. • If you overindulge without intending to, use it as a learning experience and move on. Keep healthful foods on hand like fresh fruits, cut-up vegetables, salsas and other nonfat dips, low-fat yogurt and whole-grain cereal so you’re less tempted by unhealthy foods when hungry. • Reward yourself and socialize with non-food activities. Focus on how good you feel and the health benefits you’ve gained. Non-food activities include taking walks, going to a museum or going to the gym with a buddy.

Calories and Your Body Type The number of calories you might need to cut back daily to lose weight could range from 300-400 if you are a small-framed person (short with a fine bone structure) to 500-600 if you have a large frame (are tall with big bones). It also depends on how many calories you burn each day through physical activity. On the extreme ends of this scale, athletes may burn thousands of calories from doing vigorous activity all day, every day; while people who never exercise may

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burn hardly any calories beyond what body functions, like breathing and heartbeat, require. Check with your health-care provider or visit www.choosemyplate.gov/ myplate/index.aspx to find out how many calories you should eat daily.



100-Calorie Cuts Places where you can cut 100 calories from your meals and snacks without noticing too much difference are: • Switch to reduced-fat or fat-free cheese and save about 50 calories per serving (1.5 oz. or 4 small dice). • Cut the fat: cut back 1 tablespoon of oil or butter (about 100-120 calories) by using an equal amount of broth; in baking, use 100 percent juice or applesauce instead. • Replace the cream: go for low-fat milk or, in soups, use puréed beans or potato. • Substitute for fudge sauce: use chocolate syrup to save 50 calories per serving. • Instead of frosting: use puréed or sliced fresh fruit. • Instead of 1 cup of ice cream: eat H cup plus H cup fresh fruit. • Instead of a large bagel (250-400 calories): have an English muffin (100-140 calories). • Enjoy a piece of fruit instead of a bag of potato chips (about 150 calories per 15 chips). • Choose a plain low-fat latte coffee instead of a mocha latte (220-360 per 16 ounces without whipped cream).

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Physical Activity Matters Start at your current level and gradually work up to being more physically active than you are now. Some activity is better than none. If you can work up to a brisk 15-minute walk once a day, that’s great; 15 minutes twice a day totals the 30 minutes of moderate activity per day as AICR’s Guidelines for Cancer Prevention advise. If you have a health condition, check with your healthcare provider before you start or increase your physical activity. Regardless of weight goals, being inactive is definitely not good for your health. Moving more throughout the day makes a big difference to your health and can give you the immediate benefits of better mood and more energy. It will get easier as you get used to making exercise a regular part of your daily routine. Keeping a physical activity diary for a week can help you find what routine works best for you. Record the activity you did, the time you spent at it, the vigor you put into it, the location and the time of day. As your fitness improves, aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate activity (or 30 minutes of vigorous activity) daily to keep your weight at a healthy level. Visit www .aicr.org for fitness tips and to download free AICR brochures on moving more and staying physically active.

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A Dozen Low-Calorie Snacks 1. Dip Your Fruit: Create a yummy dip for fresh melon, peach, apple and mango chunks using 1⁄2 cup of plain Greek yogurt, a Tbsp. of peanut butter, a tsp. of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Makes 2 servings. Per serving (dip only): 90 calories, 4 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 60 mg sodium.

2. Bean Dip and Veggies: 2 Tbsp. chickpea spread (“hummus”) from the deli section with carrot and celery sticks and strips of bell pepper, plus one 6-inch whole-wheat pita bread toasted and cut into wedges. Makes 1 serving. Per serving: 150 calories, 3.5 g total fat (