RATE YOUR PLATE

Think about the way you usually eat. For each food topic, put a check mark in column A, B or C.

TOPIC	A	B	C
1. GRAINS 1 Serving = 1 slice bread or tortilla; ½ bagel, roll, English muffin or pita; ½ cup cooked rice or pasta; 1 cup cereal	q Usually eat: less than 4 servings of grain products a day	q Usually eat: 4-5 servings of grain products a day	q Usually eat: 6 or more servings of grain products a day
2. WHOLE GRAINS	q Usually eat: white breads, white rice, low fiber cereals like corn flakes, rice krispies, etc.	q Sometimes eat: less than 4 servings of grain products a day	q Usually eat: whole grain breads, brown rice, whole grain cereals like oatmeal, bran cereals, Wheatiesä, etc.
3. FRUITS & VEGETABLES 1 Serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 med. fruit or 1 cup leafy raw vegetables or 4 oz. 100% fruit or veg. Juice	q Usually eat: 1 serving or less a day	q Usually eat: 2-4 servings a day	q Usually eat: 5 or more servings a day
4. DAIRY FOODS 1 Serving = 1 cup milk or yogurt; 1 ½ -2 ounces cheese	q Rarely eat or drink: 2 or more servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day	q Sometimes eat or drink: 2 or more servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day	q Usually eat or drink: 2 or more servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day
5. MEAT, CHICKEN, TURKEY OR FISH 1 Serving = 3 oz. (the size of a deck of cards) or 1 regular hamburger, 1 chicken breast or leg, or 1 pork chop	q Usually eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per day	q Sometimes eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per day	q Rarely/never eat: more than 6 ounces of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per day
6. EATING OUT in restaurants or getting take-out food	q Usually eat out or get take-out food: twice a week or more	q Usually eat out or get take-out food: once a week or more	q Usually eat out or get take-out food: less than once a week OR usually eat low-fat restaurant meals
7. RED MEAT (includes beef, hamburger, pork, lamb or veal)	q Usually eat: three times a week or more	q Usually eat: twice a week	q Usually eat: once a week or less
8. RED MEAT CHOICES (includes beef, hamburger, pork, lamb or veal)	q Usually eat: high-fat cuts, such as ribs, brisket, T-bone steak, prime rib, sausage, regular or lean ground beef	q Usually eat: high-fat cuts, such as ribs, brisket, T-bone steak, prime rib, sausage, regular or lean ground beef	q Usually eat: lean beef such as round, loin, flank, lean pork and lamb such as loin and leg, veal, ground turkey breast OR rarely/never eat meat
9. COLD CUTS, HOT DOGS, BREAKFAST MEATS	q Usually eat: salami, bolgona, other cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, sausage	q Sometimes eat: salami, bolgona, other cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, sausage	q Usually eat: roast beef, turkey breast, ham or low-fat cold cuts, low-fat hot dogs, low fat bacon/sausage
10. CHICKEN, TURKEY, ETC	q Usually eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry with skin	q Sometimes eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry with skin	q Usually eat: chicken, turkey, and other poultry without skin
11. CHICKEN AND FISH CHOICES	q Usually eat: fried chicken and/or fried fish and shellfish	q Sometimes eat: fried chicken and/or fried fish and shellfish	q Usually eat: chicken and fish that is baked, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, etc

TOPIC	A	B	C
12. MEATLESS MAIN DISHES such as all-bean chili, bean burrito, lentil soup, meatless spaghetti sauce	q Rarely eat: meatless main dishes	q Usually eat: meatless main dishes less than twice a week	q Usually eat: meatless main dishes twice a week or more
13. MILK	q Usually eat: whole milk or cream	q Usually eat: 2% reduced-fat milk	q Usually eat: 1% low-fat or skim milk
14. CHEESE includes cheese on pizza, sandwiches, snacks and in mixed dishes	q Usually eat: regular cheese such as cheddar, Swiss and American	q Sometimes eat: regular cheese such as cheddar, Swiss and American	q Usually eat: reduced-fat or part-skim cheese OR rarely eat cheese
15. FROZEN DESSERTS ice cream, etc	q Usually eat: regular ice cream, ice cream bars/sandwiches	q Sometimes eat: regular ice cream, ice cream bars/sandwiches	q Usually eat: sherbet, sorbet, low-fat frozen yogurt or icecream OR rarely eat frozen desserts
16. COOKING METHOD	q Usually add: oil, butter or margerine to the pan	q Sometimes add: oil, butter or margerine to the pan	q Usually eat: broil, bake, or steam without fats or oils or use cooking sprays (Pam)
17. FRIED FOODS such as french fries, egg rolls, onion rings, etc	q Usually eat: fried foods	q Sometimes eat: fried foods	q Rarely/Never eat: fried foods
18. SPREADS added at the table	q Usually put: butter or stick margerine on bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc	q Usually put: liquid or tub margerine on bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc	q Usually put: "light" tub margerine on bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc OR eat them plain
19. SALAD DRESSING & MAYONNAISE	q Usually use: regular salad dressing or mayonnaise	q Sometimes use: regular salad dressing or mayonnaise	q Usually use: light or fat-free salad dressing and mayonnaise
20. SNACKS	q Usually eat: regular chips, crackers and nuts	q Sometimes eat: regular chips, crackers and nuts	q Usually eat: fruit, pretzels, low-fat crackers or baked chips
21. DESSERTS AND SWEETS	q Usually eat: donuts, cookies, cake, pie, pastry or chocolate	q Sometimes eat: donuts, cookies, cake, pie, pastry or chocolate	q Usually eat: fruit, angel food cake, low-fat or fat-free sweets
22. ADDED SALT	q Usually: add salt to food when cooking or at the table	q Sometimes: add salt to food when cooking or at the table	q Rarely/Never: add salt to food when cooking or at the table
23. CANNED FOODS, FROZEN PACKAGED MEALS	q Usually: choose regular canned/frozen/packaged foods	qSometimes: choose regular canned/frozen/packaged foods	q Usually: choose low sodium canned/frozen/packaged foods OR rarely eat these foods
24. SALTY SNACKS chips, pretzels, crackers, salted nuts	q Often eat: salty snacks	q Sometimes eat: salty snacks	q Rarely/Never eat: salty snacks
25. DESSERTS AND SWEETS	q Usually eat: high sugar desserts and sweets	q Sometimes eat: high sugar desserts and sweets	q Usually eat: low sugar desserts and sweets
26. SODA, PUNCH, ETC Soda, pop, furit drink, puch, Kool-Aidä, etc	q Usually drink: 16 oz or more of regulary (non-diet) soda, punch etc per day	q Usually drink: 8-15 oz or more of regulary (non-diet) soda, punch etc per day	q Usually drink: Less than 8 oz or more of regulary (non-diet) soda, punch etc per day
27. BEER, WINE, LIQUOR 1 Drink = 12 oz beer, 5 oz. wine, one shot of hard liquor or mixed drink with 1 shot	q Often drink: more than 1-2 alchoholic drinks in a day	q Sometimes drink: more than 1-2 alchoholic drinks in a day	qRarely/Never drink: more than 1-2 alchoholic drinks in a day

FIND YOUR RATE YOUR PLATE SCORE

Total check in column A = _____________________ x 1 = ____________

Total check in column B = _____________________ x 2 = ____________

Total check in column C = _____________________ x 3 = ____________

TOTAL: __________________

If your score is:

27-45: There are many ways you can make your eating habits healthier.

46-63: There are some ways you can make your eating habits healthier.

64-81: You are making many healthy choices.

Look back at your Rate Your Plate.

Do you have any answers in Column C? If you do, great! You are already making some heart-healthy choices. Look at your answers in Columns A and B. Where you checked Column A, can you start eating more like Column B? Over time, move toward Column C.

Set Goals. Write down eating changes you are ready to make now.

Goal 1: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Goal 2: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Goal 3: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Begin today. Make changes a little at a time. Let you new way of eating become a healthy habit.