America is blessed with an abundant and affordable food supply. Nutrition information is available at your fingertips, but not always easy.In a continuing effort to help Americans make healthy food choices, and in honor of National Nutrition Month^®, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a new campaign to help simplify the nutrition information that surrounds us each day.

“With so much health and nutrition information online, and just about everywhere else, it’s become downright confusing,” Perdue said in a video on the revamped website. “We may want to eat right, but just don’t know where or how to start.”

This got USDA looking about how to help people find simplier ways to move towards better eating. Start Simple with MyPlate is a new initiative to reduce confusion surrounding healthy eating and help people start with the basics. The Start Simple with MyPlate campaign provides ideas and tips from the five MyPlate food groups that Americans can easily incorporate into their busy lives to help improve their health and well-being over time.

Perdue shared some of the tips include “make half your grains whole grains” or “try fruit to satisfy your sweet cravings.” Other simple messages include: vary your veggies, vary your protein routine and move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.

Related:New members named to dietary guidelines committee

USDA recommends people visit www.choosemyplate.gov/startsimple to get started with tips on the MyPlate food groups, or to use a variety of simple resources to put these tips into action. Online resources include the MyPlate Plan and widget, a tip sheet, the MyPlate Action Guide, a one-week menu template, as well as a toolkit for nutrition professionals.

USDA also invites Americans to join the #MyPlateChallenge by sharing healthy eating tips or ideas related to the five MyPlate food groups. People can post a MyPlate-inspired healthy eating tip with a photo or video and share it on social media. Once they post their healthy eating tip, people can challenge a family member, friend, or co-worker to share their own tip.

Join USDA as we celebrate the different ways people strive to eat healthy and Start Simple with MyPlate! View more information about the challenge here: www.choosemyplate.gov/startsimplechallenge.

Perdue said with some simple changes, individuals can make a difference in overall health and well-being. “Let’s start simple – and together we can see how easy it can be to improve our food choices,” Perdue stated.