Feeding America Tampa Bay representative, Carolyn Riggins (our child nutrition manager), attended the launch initiative event with Mi Plato and the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” Thursday, January 26th. This event was to launch the new partnership of the two organizations which aim to provide dietary guidelines for healthy eating and living. Each are designed to help consumers build a healthy plate based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Bob Unanue, President of GOYA Foods, Inc., states in the brochure that was handed out at the event, “The health and welfare of our customers has always been an important issue for GOYA. To show our commitment, we are collaborating with the First Lady’s LetsMove initiative and the USDA to launch MiPlato, the Spanish version of My Plate. We want to be the heart and of healthy eating. GOYA Foods has always been at the forefront of nutrition and this is our way of taking a stand in helping our customers live a healthy and happy life.”
This brochure also includes 6 healthy, “delicious recipes to build a healthy plate,” and a coupon for low sodium GOYA beans. It goes on to give 10 tips to a great plate, these being:
1) Balance Calories
2) Enjoy your food, but eat less
3) Avoid oversized portions
4) Foods to eat more often (Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy products)
5) Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
6) Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
7) Make half your grains whole grains
8) Foods to eat less often (High in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.
9) Compare sodium in foods
10) Drink water instead of sugary drinks
While at the event, our representative, Carolyn, was actually able to meet First Lady Michelle Obama! She stated, “What an experience to meet the First Lady. To hear the compassionate way in which she speaks regarding feeding children a healthy and nutritious meal, and her concern for getting fresh fruit and vegetables in every community was so compelling. It was exciting to listen to her speak of goals that we too are attempting to accomplish in our Kids Cafés which are healthy, nutritious meals introducing children to vegetable and fruit that they might not be familiar with, changing the palate there by changing eating habits.”
