How To Make a Healthy Menu

 I like to start with the main meals. So I decide my lunch and dinner.

For example, I might choose a soup and side salad and whole grain bread for lunch and Grilled Herbed Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and brown rice for dinner and I put those in my menu plan and see what food groups I will have used with this plan

Meal	Example	Food Groups Used
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch	Soup with side salad and whole grain bread (beans in either the soup or salad)	Vegetables  Beans & legumes  Whole Grains
Snack
Dinner  CHICKEN	Grilled Herbed Chicken with roasted vegetables, brown rice	Chicken  Fats Vegetables Whole grains

Next, I will add my breakfast, while thinking about what food groups I still need. I haven't had any fruit or dairy yet, so I will put on a smoothie for breakfast.

Meal	Example	Food Groups Used
Breakfast	Greek yogurt Smoothie with fruits and vegetables	Fruit  Vegetables  Dairy
Snack
Lunch	Soup with side salad and whole grain bread (beans in either the soup or salad)	Vegetables  Beans & legumes  Whole Grains
Snack
Dinner  CHICKEN	Grilled Herbed Chicken with roasted vegetables, brown rice	Chicken  Fats Vegetables  Whole grains

Now, I can use my snacks to fill out my missing food groups, and since my breakfast was light, I can have a pretty full snack. I can get in my fourth serving of vegetables and an egg, since I haven't had one yet. I can also get in another serving of whole grains. So, what is left that I need? Looking at the guidelines below, I see that since I only have one fruit, I need another one. I have all the other categories filled, so I could just have a piece of fruit, but since I love my berries and yogurt bowls, and I haven't reached by limit of dairy, I will put that as my last snack for the day.

Fruit (2-3 servings per day) 

Vegetables (4-6 1-cup servings per day) including Greens (2-3 servings a week)

Whole Grains (3-6 servings per day)

Eggs (can be eaten daily, if desired)

Beans & legumes (3 ½-cup servings per week),

Dairy (2-3 servings a day)

Chicken (1-2 servings per week)  Seafood (2-3 servings a week)

Red meat (can be eaten 1-2 x per week maximum)

Nuts & Seeds (3 servings per week)

Fats: Olive Oil (1-4 Tab. per day), Avocados

Meal	Example	Food Groups Used
Breakfast	Greek yogurt Smoothie with fruits and vegetables	Fruit  Vegetables  Dairy
Snack	Hard-boiled Egg and Crackers, Celery Sticks with cream cheese	Vegetables  Egg  Dairy Whole Grains
Lunch	Soup with side salad and whole grain bread (beans in either the soup or salad)	Vegetables  Beans & legumes  Whole Grains  Fats
Snack	Yogurt Bowl with berries	Fruit  Dairy
Dinner  CHICKEN	Grilled Herbed Chicken with roasted vegetables, brown rice	Chicken  Fats Vegetables  Whole grains

The day's menu is done, hitting all the food groups!