Thursday, June 28, 2012

MyPlate Birthday and Recipe Review


MyPlate, the government’s replacement for the food pyramid, is celebrating its first birthday with a revamped website that includes new resources and recipes, as well as tips for celebrating events with healthier food and by including movement and exercise as part of the festivities.  You can find the links to the celebration resources and more, including the place to wish MyPlate a Happy Birthday by clicking below.


A year ago I promised to review the original recipes from the MyPlate site when I wrote my post about the change.  You can find their original recipes here.  So, in honor of MyPlate’s first birthday, I present my reviews of the salads from their original recipe list.  So far, we have liked everything we have tried.  I explain my adjustments for each recipe below, if any.

As I mentioned last year, we like the Outtasight Salad (page 5).  We use whatever fresh vegetables and fruits we have on hand, usually doubling the amount to two cups each.  The more vegetables and fruits, the less noticeable the greens are, and my children prefer the salad this way.  Also, fresh pineapple is our choice over canned.  And for the dressing, we leave out the vinegar, keeping the dressing thicker and creamier, so it can coat the chunks of vegetables and fruits.

We usually eat this as a light lunch, with nut butter or cheese toast.  Leftovers make a good side salad for dinner.


The Fire and Ice Watermelon Salad (page 9) is a refreshing and new way to eat watermelon.  I really like the kick of the dressing, but my children prefer to eat the fruit mixture without the dressing, so I just reserve it on the side.  We were almost out of white vinegar the first time I made this, so I used half white and half apple cider vinegar.  You could probably use all apple cider vinegar too, although I have not tried that yet.

This recipe makes a lot, so you may be eating this watermelon for a couple of days; it is good as a snack, or a luncheon side dish.

We have also tried the Bulgur Chickpea Salad as a side dish (page 10).  I actually prepare my bulgur off the stove, using warm water.  I use fresh parsley instead of dried, and shredded carrot instead of chopped.  This dish offers an interesting flavor combination that is light and fresh, perfect for summer.

These last two recipes are great ways to use the green onions we grow on our windowsill.



If you have tried any of the MyPlate recipes, let us know how you liked them.  You can find additional new recipes and resources at this page.  With so many links, I have plenty of new recipes to try, so look for more reviews in the future!

7 comments:

  1. Hi Elisa, Thanks for linking-up! I'll have to try this when my watermelons are grown! Thanks so much! I better get back to work, I can, FINALLY, move our livingroom into our new home addition!!!!
    YAH!!! :-D God Bless!

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  2. Wow! This is a GREAT post! I love the healthy recipes and with all the links there is so much information--I can't believe it! I am a huge watermelon fan, so I can't wait to try that watermelon salad and I will definitely be a with dressing person. Thanks for linking it to "Pay It Forward". I hope you'll link up more of your reviews in the future.

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  3. Ladies, I am also a big fan of watermelon! Let me know how you like the Fire and Ice salad. Thank you all for the opportunities to link up; I will definitely be joining you in the future.

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  4. Thank you for adding this to the Our Favorite Things Link Party. I'm currently on a quest to feed my family better. I really appreciate your opinions on the recipes. Its always nice to have a idea of what to expect.

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  5. Grabbing veggies and fruits that I have on hand seems like a great plan for salad--flexible and minimizing waste.

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  6. Thank you for sharing with us at Healthy 2Day Wednesday! :)

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