MultiCultural MyPlate

Published in our March 2025 newsletter

One of the most overlooked considerations when working to eat more healthfully is making sure you create a diet that fits your lifestyle. This includes embracing traditional, multicultural food choices. A healthy diet can (and should!) incorporate easily accessible foods, traditional flavors, and culturally relevant dishes for day-to-day eating as well as for holidays and celebrations.

Culturally inclusive meals are a trending topic in nutrition. In 2011, the USDA unveiled MyPlate as a replacement for the Food Pyramid as the official dietary guideline for Americans. MyPlate offers a simpler interface and a spotlight on proportions of different foods rather than precise amounts of specific foods. The main focuses are simple: filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables and making half your grain choices whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. MyPlate also offers more flexibility in which foods you can use to fulfill each section of your plate, including guidance on vegetarian proteins and dairy-free calcium options.

In 2024, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service implemented updates to school meal programs that reflected many of the same changes ushered in by MyPlate. Schools are now able to include traditional indigenous foods, source a wider variety of local options, serve more plant-based proteins, and make substitutions for dairy to support lactose intolerant students. These regulations help customize healthy eating to the diverse populations across our country.

It’s clear that there’s so much potential to create a unique and healthy diet with MyPlate, but how do you effectively utilize MyPlate without giving up traditional dishes, cooking methods, ingredients, and celebrations? Here are some tips adapted from the USDA for enjoying foods from many cultures while also supporting a balanced eating style.

Embrace Flexibility-MyPlate is a reminder to add more healthy foods to your meals. Focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free dairy and you’ll find that dishes from all heritages fit easily within a balanced lifestyle.

Make Healthy Swaps-Many traditional dishes can be modified in ways that retain the cultural value but add extra nutrition. Look for places to add in extra produce, add whole grains instead of refined grains, and bake, roast, or grill instead of fry.

Explore Spice-Spices are incredibly important to cuisines worldwide, but they’re also a fantastic way to make healthy food flavorful and delicious! Dry spices and fresh herbs can be added liberally when cooking to add authentic flavor and replace sodium and saturated fat.

Lower the Salt-Low or no-salt options are available for a wide range of foods found at grocery stores and international markets. Look for products with “low-sodium” or “no salt added” labels when shopping for canned vegetables, such a beans, sauces, such as soy sauce, and frozen vegetables.

Blend Cultures-The United States is just as diverse as the individuals and families living here. Take inspiration from family, friends, and neighbors to blend cuisines from a variety of cultures and try out produce, grains, proteins, and spices from traditions around the world.

Cook and Eat Together-Cooking with children passes down culture and healthy habits. Welcome chefs of all ages into the kitchen to learn to prepare traditional dishes and flavors. Enjoy a meal together and share stories and customs for nourishment that goes beyond food.

Need some inspiration when planning a healthy plate? Snap4CT has a few examples of healthy menus that embrace flavors and ingredients from around the world.

Latin America

Stewed Chicken

Plantains

Mixed Vegetables

Avocado

Western Africa

Grilled Fish

Jollof Rice

Collard Greens

Papaya

East Asia

Braised Tofu