Healthy dinners are served with the New American Plate

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The American Institute for Cancer Research recently released updated guidelines to prevent cancer. The guidelines include several recommendations related to food choices. The New American Plate is a tool that was developed by the American Institute for Cancer Research to help people improve the quality of their diet and decrease their risk for cancer. Using this tool also can help to decrease your risk for chronic diseases and help to manage your weight. This tool is not a diet or a complex system for calculating calories, fat grams or carbohydrates, it's a fresh way of looking at what you eat every day. Plate proportions Looking at the proportion of plant-based foods compared to animal-based food items is a key concept in the New American Plate. This tool suggests that our plate be made up of two-thirds or more of plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, dried beans and whole grains, with one-third or less of the plate being animal products like meat, cheese and milk. The typical plate in America usually is about half plant-based and half animal-based products. We tend to put a large meat portion on our plates with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables. Making the transition to a healthier meal can be easy with the New American Plate. Try serving two different vegetables with your noon or evening meal. Consider serving one cooked vegetable and one raw vegetable. You also may want to use recipes for casseroles, stews and stir-fries that call for two-thirds vegetables, whole grains and beans with only a small amount of meat. Vegetables and fruit To ensure a variety of nutrients are consumed, it is suggested that we choose a variety of different colors of fruits and vegetables. Deeply colored vegetables and fruits indicate the food is rich in phytochemicals that can protect us from cancer and many other chronic health conditions. Try to include a variety of colors on your plate throughout the week. Include some dark green, bright orange/yellow, red and blue/purple produce. Using the New American Plate can make it easier to include a full rainbow of colors on our plate. When we go out to eat, we pay attention to the appearance of our plate more than we do when we eat at home. When we eat out, we expect the plate to look good. Try increasing your awareness of the colors on your plate both when you eat out and when you are eating at home. Maximize the number of brightly colored plant-based items on your plate to improve the quality of your meal. Meat and legumes The latest recommendations for cancer prevention suggests we eat 18 ounces or less of red meat per week and that we save processed meats such as sausage, bacon, ham and lunch meats for special occasions. Chicken, turkey and fish are good meat choices since they generally are lean and contain very little saturated fat. Dried beans and lentils also are a great protein source that can add fiber to your menu and help to minimize the animal products on your plate. AICR guidelines for cancer prevention The most recent version of the cancer prevention recommendations have been simplified into three guidelines: n Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid processed meat. n Be physically active every day for 30 minutes or more. n Aim to have a healthy weight throughout life. n Remember to abstain from cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco. Supplements and cancer prevention Recommendations from the American Institute for Cancer Research indicate whole foods, and not dietary supplements, play a role in lowering cancer risk. Vitamin and mineral supplements, if taken in appropriate doses, can play a role in a healthy diet, particularly in certain age groups such as women of child-bearing age and mature adults. However, supplements generally are not known to decrease risk for cancer. Some research indicates that selenium supplements might protect us against prostate cancer and that calcium supplements may protect us against colorectal cancer. However, high calcium supplement consumption may increase the risk for prostate cancer. More research on the use of nutritional supplements to prevent cancer is needed. Getting nutrients from a variety of foods is the best way to help decrease your risk for developing cancer. Certain supplements indeed have been shown to increase the risk of cancer among specific high-risk groups. The evidence that beta carotene supplements cause lung cancer in current smokers is very strong. On the menu Black bean quesadillas Serving this meatless entrÂ/e is a great way to make your plate two-thirds plant-based and one-third animal-based. Add a side of fruit and a glass of low-fat or skim milk to make your plate look like the New American Plate. 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp. canola oil 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/8 tsp. salt 10 (6-inch) whole-grain tortillas 1 cup shredded 2 percent fat cheddar cheese In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick pan spray, sautÂ/ the yellow pepper, onion and garlic in the oil for two minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and corn and cook for an additional two minutes. Add the black beans, pepper and salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Drain away any juices. Lightly spray one side of each tortilla with the nonstick pan spray and place plain side up on baking sheets that also have been sprayed with the nonstick pan spray. Spoon bean mixture onto half of each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold tortilla over filling. Bake at 400 degrees for six minutes. Carefully turn over and bake an additional four to seven minutes or until the cheese has melted. Makes five servings. Nutrition information for two quesadillas: 381 calories, 12 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 820 milligrams sodium, 53 grams total carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber. Ă‘ Recipe courtesy of Teresa Smith