HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT PLATE

Mealtime at your hall of residence is likely to be a lot different than what you are used to at home. With a large variety of options, big quantities and a smorgasbord style of serving, it’s all too easy to overload your plate at the start of the servery and leave little room for the salad bar.

Sound familiar? Next time you are serving up, try to keep the Plate Model in mind to keep meals balanced.

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WHAT IS A SERVE?

The plate model is a way to make sure we get the right proportions of each food group in our meals. To stay healthy, it’s important to keep our vege intake up where we can, which means modifying up the other food groups when needed.

What is a serve?
Meal size will vary based on your individual needs, but for a general, for dinner we should aim for two serves of vege, one serve of protein and one serve of carbohydrates when we build our plate.

Protein
Beef casserole or mince – ¾ cup (about the size of your fist) Fish fillet – size of your hand Roast beef / chicken / pork – Size and thickness of your palm Vegetarian sausages – 1 sausage

Carbohydrates
White rice – ¾ cup (about the size of your fist) Pasta – 1 cup (size of a cricket ball) Flat bread/ wrap – ½ medium size (same size as your smart phone) Potato – 1 medium size (about a handful)

Vegetables
Raw leafy vegetables – 1 cup (two handfuls) Chopped vegetables – ½ cup (about the size of a tennis ball)

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Ref: Healthy Food Guide www.healthyfood.co.nz