News for Families & Consumers
Eating the new American way

How we eat may influence our chances for getting cancer. The National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR) recommends that Americans modify their eating habits to lower their cancer risk by filling their dinner plates in a new way. The new pattern to guide our food selection at our meals is called the New American Plate.

Presently about half of our dinner plate is filled with meat, fish or poultry and the remaining half is filled with starchy foods, vegetables and/or fruits. Cancer research has shown that people are less likely to get cancer if they eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and less animal protein. No one is exactly sure what substances in the plant foods protect us and it could be a combination of several nutrients. It also appears that plant foods that are processed less may contain more of these protective substances.

Adoption of the New American Plate should be done gradually. The first stage is to fill two-thirds of the plate with whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Only a third of the plate should contain meat, fish or poultry. Gradually more of the plate is filled with vegetables, fruits and whole grains with meat, fish and poultry used more as a condiment to enhance the flavor of the plant foods.

Meat substitutes are also useful in the transition to the New American Plate. Cooked dried beans and peas, soy foods like tofu and tempeh and nuts and nut butters can replace animal protein at some meals.

Using fish high in omega-3 fatty acids two to three times per week may also be protective. These fish include salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, but keep your portions to about the size of the palm of a woman's hand. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains still should be the focus of the meal.

Select the most colorful vegetables and fruits available. Choose blue and purple, bright orange and yellow, dark green, and shiny red. These brightly colored vegetables and fruits tend to be richer in the nutrients that protect our bodies from cancer and other chronic diseases. Try to eat them raw or cooked just until tender to get the most nutrients.

There are many whole grains to choose from. We always think of oatmeal and whole wheat bread, but also try quinoa, millet, brown and wild rice, kamut, whole-wheat couscous, bulgur, buckwheat, spelt and barley. You may have to go to a health food store, the "nutrition" section in the grocery store, or on-line to find some of these more unusual grains, but adding them to your meals will give you a variety in taste and texture.

Eating according to the New American Plate does not need to be bland or boring. By choosing more wisely, you will have dinner plates filled with bright colors, fresh flavors and satisfying textures.