WASHINGTON – National Turkey Federation (NTF) today teamed up with the nearly 6,000 USDA partners to make March 8, 2012, “What’s on MyPlate?” Day, to heighten public awareness of the importance of choosing foods for a healthy meal. NTF is committed to promoting a diet that reflects the latest recommendations in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and highlights the message behind the new MyPlate food icon. Turkey is a perfect choice as it is a nutrient-rich protein, low in fat, and is available in a wide variety of different cuts and products.
The MyPlate icon, unveiled last summer, is the fresh, new USDA food graphic replacing MyPyramid and designed to be a visual cue to remind consumers to make healthful food choices. It supports the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, features the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy) and points users to ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn about and apply the guidelines for themselves.
The goal of “What’s on MyPlate?” Day is to create nationwide attention by using the outreach strength of social networks such as blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to promote MyPlate and its related messages and resources like the new SuperTracker and the ChooseMyPlate.gov website. These resources empower consumers with the how-tos to build healthier plates.
As part of this effort, NTF and the USDA Nutrition Communicators Network urge consumers to put MyPlate into action by taking a photo of their healthful plates to share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate. NTF and the USDA believe people can be inspired by seeing where and when consumers think about healthy eating. Snap a photograph of a MyPlate-style breakfast, lunch or dinner to share with the USDA Flickr Photo Group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/choosemyplate).
Those interested in becoming involved can sign up as a Community or National Strategic Partner by clicking on Partnering Program at ChooseMyPlate.gov, or follow USDA MyPlate on Twitter @MyPlate and NTF on Twitter @TurkeyGal.
About the National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the national advocate for all segments of the $14 billion turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities that increase demand for its members' products by protecting and enhancing their ability to profitably provide wholesome, high-quality, nutritious products. Its award-winning website, www.EatTurkey.com, offers consumers, food professionals and the media an extensive library of information including healthy eating and restaurant trends, turkey cuts and purchasing tips, turkey nutrition and cooking techniques, and turkey facts and trivia. Additionally, the site presents a searchable database of more than 2,200 recipes and provides special seasonal and holiday ideas. NTF is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Source: National Turkey Federation