USDA Launches Web Pages to Help Make Healthier Food Choices

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week launched three new online tools that will help consumers make healthier food choices and gain a better appreciation of the role of American agriculture in food production from the farm to the table.

"Because more than 80 percent of our population lives in suburban and metropolitan areas, when we think of food, we more often think of the grocery store than the farm," said Vilsack. "There is a disconnect between the farmer and the food that consumers buy, and we want to re-connect these long standing ties between the people who produce the food and those who purchase and prepare it. These new online tools will help do that."

The three new online applications are:

www.cnpp.usda.gov/KnowYourFarmer.htm - "Growing a Healthier You: Nutrition From the Farm to the Table" links garden and farm produce to the nutritional well-being of the public and the significance of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

www.MyFoodapedia.gov - MyFood-a-pedia is a new online tool that gives consumers quick access to nutrition information for over 1,000 foods. The MyFood-a-pedia provides calorie count information on the contribution of the food to the five food groups people need to be healthy.

www.MyPyramid.gov - The "10 Tips" begins with cutting back on salt and sodium, followed by tips for setting good examples to be a healthy role model for children and tips for making more environmentally friendly food choices.

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