One of the SuperTracker team members, Sarah Chang, nutritionist, enthusiastically demos the SuperTracker site. Photo by Sasha Bard

The Agriculture Department announced this week that SuperTracker, an interactive diet and activity tracking tool, reached one million registered users. SuperTracker, maintained by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), is a free online application. Users can choose from a wide variety of features ranging from quickly looking up the nutrient information for a food to in-depth diet and activity tracking.  For example, users can track their vegetable intake, estimate how many calories they burn in their aerobics class, and track their weight loss over time. Read more »

As you may know, USDA recently issued its Expenditures on Children by Families, 2011 report, which analyzes the costs of raising a child born in 2011. USDA has been tracking the cost of raising a child annually since 1960.  Expenses are examined by the age of the child, household income, budgetary component, and region of the country.

Middle income parents of a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are factored in*) for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise a child over the next 17 years. Let’s look at the breakdown: Read more »

MyPlate Food Icon

June 2, 2012 will mark the first anniversary of the release of MyPlate food icon.  At ceremonies a year earlier, First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the federal government’s new food icon to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate, which replaced MyPyramid, is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.  The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.  On September 30, MiPlato, a Spanish version of MyPlate was released by Secretary Vilsack, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and White House Chef Sam Kass to reach the Hispanic population in the United States.  Today, MyPlate and MiPlato are among the most recognized food images developed by the government. Read more »

How are you putting more fruits and vegetables to your plate? USDA is challenging you to show how you’re adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet without straining your budget. Speaking of your budget, the challenge is offering cash prizes for creative videos! All you have to do is create a short video (approximately 30 seconds) showing how you build a healthy plate with fruits and veggies on a budget. What does YOUR MyPlate look like? Share your most inspiring tips, tricks, and how-tos. Get creative with your video! It can be a song, a skit, or a how-to in action, as long as it includes the message “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.” Read more »

Recent news articles have reported that a healthy diet is expensive if one were to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.  As the senior economist with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) with over 20 years of experience in the area of food economics developing food plans and market baskets, I agree.  Depending on the food choices, a healthy diet can be relatively expensive.

However, there is a compelling fact that these news reports fail to highlight — a healthy diet can be relatively inexpensive.  Now some readers of this blog may think that this is another case of economic double talk or spin, but healthy foods come in a variety of forms and a range of prices that likely fit just about anyone’s budget. Read more »

Fireworks, parades, music, family and friends, and summer weather make up the ambiance of the 4^th of July. Food is also at the forefront of the All-American celebration. Classic picnic favorites, such as juicy hamburgers, grilled chicken, delicious coleslaws and potato salads, and fresh fruit desserts, are often found at 4^th of July parties. Are you getting hungry yet? With the help of the USDA’s new MyPlate icon and coordinating messages, you can make your 4^th of July plate a healthy plate.

Making your plate half fruits and vegetables is easy with the abundant amount of fruits and vegetables available during the summer. If you’re hosting a cookout, you can try grilling broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions, or corn on the cob. Add sliced watermelon or a fruit salad with cantaloupe, strawberries and blackberries to the menu for a refreshing snack. With some smart shopping it’s possible to fit fruits and vegetables into any budget. Read more »