MyPyramid Podcast #8: Partnering with MyPyramid Part 2: Prepare

Brian Wansink: Hi, I’m Dr. Brian Wansink, the Executive Director of the USDA’s Center for Nutritional Policy and Promotion. When we last saw my friend Pizzaman, we had given him some great tips for how to purchase food. But what about preparing food? Let’s see how he’s doing with that...

Pizzaman: So that helps me out with purchasing food, but you know I still have problems preparing food. Once I get home, I still don’t know what to do. Even if I buy food in the store I don’t know how to cook it. I don’t even know how to boil water! So I just do what I do every night — use the stove! [on the phone] Yea hello, how’d you know it was me? Yea, the usual. Please hurry. I’m really hungry! Thanks. Bu-bye. [to Brian] I’m just as clueless in the kitchen. Help!

Brian Wansink: Pizzaman may be more helpless than a lot of us in the kitchen, but all of us could still use help. The companies who are partnering with MyPyramid through the Corporate Challenge have come up with some ways to help all of us in the kitchen. Some companies are creating easy-to-prepare meals that can fit into a healthy lifestyle. And some are posting recipes online or distributing them in booklets to get you on the right track. New menu planning strategies for children’s menus and cooking classes can also help you follow MyPyramid. To make preparing food healthier and easier, try these tips for your home in the kitchen: Broil, grill or roast your meat, poultry, fish instead of frying it. Use vegetable oils instead of solid fats like stick margarine, lard, or butter. For cooked cereals or soups, you can boost your calcium intake by using fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water. Finally, remember that the smaller your plate, the smaller your portion. Eat your meals at home on a smaller plate to keep your portions in check. There are lots of great tips for preparing foods — these are just a few of them. I hope that helps you with your food preparation, Pizzaman.

Pizzaman: Hey that’s great! That will really help me buy and prepare food at home. But you know, I spend a lot of time at work. I think you mentioned the third stop on the road to Healthville was eating healthy at work?

Brian Wansink: That’s right, Pizzaman! Making healthy choices at work can be tough, but it’s still possible! Tune in next time and find out how! In the meantime, check out the website MyPyramid.gov for a lot of great ideas.