Nutrition Information You Can Trust on the Internet

March is National Nutrition Month, but where can consumers find believable nutrition advice on the internet? If you search for information on vitamins or nutrition, you will be barraged by advertisements for costly so-called dietary supplements that may put a dent in your pocketbooks, but may not have any proven medical value or, even worse, might be harmful to your health.

The library Reference Department recently got an email regarding a post on this blog about 'My Pyramid Tracker' which was a website designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people track their food intake and make the best food choices for their health. The Pyramid Tracker was replaced by 'Choose My Plate' so the links in the old blog post no longer work.

Take a look at the new Department of Agriculture website called 'ChooseMyPlate.gov.' People can create an account for free with the 'Supertracker' to keep a list of what they eat and all the calories and nutrients of the foods. There is a daily food plan for various age groups from pre-schoolers to mothers-to-be to dieters, and a BMI calculator on the website. There are daily tips, budget advice for shopping, a Supertracker Toolkit for employers to encourage employees to eat a healthy diet and maintain regular exercise habits. There is so much on this website and it is all free and all supported by credible research about nutrition and health. The website 'About Us' page states:
" ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children."

USDA Choose My Plate Logo