Since Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is one of five healthy pantries designated by Second Harvest Food Bank in Lehigh County, I wanted to share information from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate. You can view it at myplate.gov.

I periodically go to the website to review the information. It was updated with tons of information and ways to help you lose weight and eat healthier. They even have an app. If you do not have a computer, you can go to your local library. This information is useful.

The site has several topics you may find interesting, including learning how to eat healthy, discovering budget-friendly food ideas, recipes of the month and setting personal goals for healthy eating.

This article focuses on learning how to eat healthy with MyPlate. On the myplate.gov home page, you will see a plate with the five major food groups - fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.

Hit the orange box on the page to explore MyPlate. Scroll down, and each section will give you more information on how much to eat and what the benefits are. Each food group also has its own page of information.

While you are still on the Explore MyPlate page, scroll down to Make Every Bite Count. This is a great section. You can get a personalized MyPlate plan that’s right for you by clicking on the link. The plan is based on your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity level.

I did this. For my information, it said 1,800 calories to maintain my current weight of 157 pounds but suggested a 1,600-calorie diet to achieve a healthy weight.

I clicked on the 1,600 calorie diet and downloaded the link for my plan. It provided me with a beautifully colored two-page document.

It said the benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite. Small changes matter. A healthy eating routine is important at every stage of life and can have positive effects that add up over time.

It’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients. Make every bite count.

Then, it gave the food groups and how much to eat for a 1,600-calorie-a-day diet. It recommended 1.5 cups of fruits. Focus on whole fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned or dried.

It recommended 2 cups of vegetables. Choose a variety of colorful fresh, frozen and canned vegetables. Make sure to include dark green, red and orange choices.

It recommended 5 ounces of grains. Make sure half of your grains are whole grains. Find whole grain foods by reading nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists.

It recommended 5 ounces of proteins. Vary your protein routine. Mix up your protein foods to include seafood; beans, peas and lentils; unsalted nuts and seeds; soy products; eggs; and lean meats and poultry.

It recommended 3 cups of dairy. Move to low-fat or fat-free dairy milk or yogurt or lactose-free dairy or fortified soy version. Look for ways to include dairy or fortified soy alternatives at meals and snacks during the day.

Choose foods and beverages with less added sugars, saturated fat and sodium (salt). Limit added sugars to less than 40 grams a day, saturated fats to less than 18 grams a day and sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams a day.

Be active your way. Children ages 6-17 years old should move 60 minutes every day. Adults should be physically active at least 2.5 hours per week.

The second part of the MyPlate plan was a daily record of what you did. This was laid out nicely with the five food groups on the left side. The second column was to write down the food choices made for each food group. The third column asked if you reached your targets. The fourth column asked if you limited your sugars, fat and sodium and if you were active for the time frame given.

This page also had a disclaimer saying the 1,600-calorie pattern is only an estimate of your needs. Monitor your body weight and adjust your calories if needed.