brucejsachsmd.com - Rate Your Plate

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1. GRAINS (Serving = 1 slice bread or tortilla; 1/2 bagel, roll, English muffin or pita; 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta: 1 cup cereal)

A. Usually eat: less than 4 servings of grain products a dayB. Usually eat: 4-5 servings of grain products a dayC. Usually eat: 6 or more servings of grain products a day

2. WHOLE GRAINS

A. Usually eat: white breads; white rice; low fiber cereals like corn flakes, krispies, etcB. Sometimes eat: white breads; white rice; low fiber cereals like corn flakes, krispies, etcC. Usually eat: whole grain breads; brown rice; whole grain cereals like oatmeal, bran cereals, Wheaties, etc.

3. FRUITS & VEGETABLES (1 Serving =1/2 cup or 1 med. fruit or 1 cup leafy raw vegetables or 4 oz. fruit/veg. juice)

A. Usually eat: 1 serving or less a dayB. Usually eat: 2-4 servings a dayC. Usually eat: 5 or more servings a day

4. DAIRY FOODS (1 Serving = 1 cup milk or yogurt; 1-1/2 - 2 ounces cheese )

A. Rarely eat or drink: 2 or more servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a dayB. Sometimes eat or drink: 2 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a dayC. Usually eat or drink: 2 or more servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day

5. MEAT, CHICKEN, TURKEY OR FISH* (3 ounces is the size of a deck of cards or 1 regular hamburger, 1 chicken breast or leg or 1 pork chop )

A. Usually eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per dayB. Sometimes eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per dayC. Rarely/never eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per day

6. EATING OUT (in restaurants or getting take out food)

A. Usually eat out or get take-out food twice a week or moreB. Usually eat out or get take-out food once a weekC. Usually eat out or get take-out food less than once a week OR Usually eat low-fat restaurant meals

7. RED MEAT (been hamburger, pork, Iamb, veal)

A. Usually eat: three times a week or moreB. Usually eat: twice a weekC. Usually eat: once a week or less

8. RED MEAT CHOICES (beef hamburger, pork, lamb, veal)

A. Usually eat: high-fat cuts, such as ribs, brisket, T-bone steak, prime rib, sausage, regular or lean ground beefB. Sometimes eat: high-fat cuts such as: ribs, brisket, T-bone steak, prime rib, sausage. regular or lean ground beefC. Usually eat: lean beef such as round, loin, flank; lean pork and lamb such as loin and leg; veal; ground turkey breast Or, I rarely eat meat

9. COLD CUTS, HOT DOGS, BREAKFAST MEATS

A. Usually/often eat: salami, bologna, other cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, sausageB. Sometimes eat: salami, bologna, other cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, sausageC. Usually eat: roast beef, turkey breast. ham, or low-fat cold cuts, low-fat hot dogs, low fat bacon/sausage Or, I rarely eat processed meats

10. CHICKEN, TURKEY ETC.

A. Usually eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry with skinB. Sometimes eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry with skinC. Usually eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry without skin

11. CHICKEN AND FISH CHOICES

A. Usually eat: fried chicken and/or fried fish and shellfishB. Sometimes eat: fried chicken and/or fried fish and shellfishC. Usually eat: chicken and fish that is baked, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, etc.

12. MEATLESS MAIN DISHES (like all-bean chili, bean burrito, lentil soup, meatless spaghetti sauce)

A. Rarely eat: meatless main dishesB. Usually eat: meatless main dishes less than twice a weekC. Usually eat: meatless main dishes twice a week or more

13. MILK

A. Usually drink/use: whole milk or creamB. Usually drink/use: 2% reduced-fat milkC. Usually drink/use: 1% low-fat or skim milk

14. CHEESE (include cheese on pizza, sandwiches, snacks & in mixed dishes)

A. Usually eat: regular cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, and AmericanB. Sometimes eat: regular cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, and AmericanC. Usually eat: reduced-fat or part-skim cheese Or, Rarely eat cheese

15. FROZEN DESSERTS (ice cream, etc.)

A. Usually eat: regular ice cream, ice cream bars/sandwichesB. Sometimes eat: regular ice cream, ice cream bars/sandwichesC. Usually eat: sherbet, sorbet, low-fat frozen yogurt or ice cream Or, Rarely eat frozen desserts

16. COOKING METHOD

A. Usually add: oil, butter, or margarine to the panB. Sometimes add: oil, butter, or margarine to the panC. Usually: broil, bake, or steam without fats or oils or use cooking sprays (Pam")

17. FRIED FOODS (like French. fries, egg rolls, onion rings, etc.)

A. Often eat: fried foodsB. Sometimes eat: fried foodsC. Rarely/Never eat: fried foods

18. SPREADS Added at the table

A. Usually put: butter or stick margarine on bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc.B. Usually put: liquid or regular tub margarine on bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc.C. Usually put: "light" tub margarine on bread, potatoes, vegetables Or, Eat them plain

19. SALAD DRESSING & MAYONNAISE

A. Usually use: regular salad dressing or mayonnaiseB. Sometimes use: regular salad dressing or mayonnaiseC. Usually use: light or fat-free salad dressing and mayonnaise

20. SNACKS

A. Usually eat: regular chips, crackers, and nutsB. Sometimes eat: regular chips, crackers, and nutsC. Usually eat: fruit, pretzels, low-fat crackers or baked chips

21. DESSERTS & SWEETS

A. Usually eat: donuts, cookies, cake, pie, pastry or chocolateB. Sometimes eat: donuts, cookies, cake, pie, pastry, or chocolateC. Usually eat: fruit, angel food cake, low-fat or fat-free sweets

22. ADDED SALT

A. Always/Usually: add salt to food when cooking or at the tableB. Sometimes: add salt to food when cooking or at the tableC. Rarely/Never: add salt to food when cooking or at the table

23. CANNED FOODS, FROZEN, PACKAGED MEALS

A. Usually: choose regular canned/frozen/packaged foods.B. Sometimes: choose regular canned, frozen, packaged foods.C. Usually: choose low sodium canned, frozen, packaged foods. Or, rarely eat these foods

24. SALTY SNACKS chips, pretzels, crackers, salted nuts

A. Often eat: salty snacksB. Sometimes eat: salty snacksC. Rarely/Never eat: salty snacks

25. DESSERTS AND SWEETS

A. Usually eat: high sugar desserts & sweetsB. Sometimes eat: low sugar desserts & sweetsC. Usually eat: low sugar desserts & sweets

26. SODA, PUNCH, ETC. (Soda, pop,, fruit drink punch, Kool-Aid, etc.)

A. Usually drink 16 oz. or more of non-diet soda, punch, etc. per dayB. Usually drink 8-15 oz. of non-diet soda, punch, etc. per dayC. Usually drink less than 8 oz. of non-diet soda, punch, etc. per day

27. BEER, WINE,LIQUOR (One drink = 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, one shot of hard liquor or mixed drink with 1 shot)

A. Often drink: more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks in a day.B. Sometimes drink: more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks in a day.C. Rarely/never drink: more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks in a day.

Total Score

If your score is:

27-45: There are many ways you can make your eating habits healthier.
46-63: There are some ways you can make your eating habits healthier.
64-81: You are making many healthy choices.

Look back at your Rate Your Plate.

Do you have any answers in Column C? If you do, great! You are already making some heart healthy choices.

Look at your answers in Columns A and B. Where you checked Column A, can you start eating more like Column

B? Over time, move toward Column C.

Set goals. Write down eating changes you are ready to make now.

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Begin Today: Make changes a little at a time. Let your new way of eating become a healthy habit.

RATE YOUR PLATE