Wegmans' Healthy Half

JEFF WELLS

Wegmans Food Markets has put forward a four-step program aimed at helping customers and employees choose not only healthful food, but also proper portions.

The Half-Plate Guide is a process that advises people to fill half of their plate with fruits or vegetables, then use the other half for meat, pasta or a similar entree. When going back for seconds or dessert, the guide says, make sure to fill up on fruits and vegetables again.

This is sensible advice regardless of age or lifestyle, according to Wegmans, and it gets people thinking about all dimensions of a healthful diet. It also lets people continue to eat many of the foods they are already eating — just in smaller amounts.

“When it comes to managing your weight, calories count. And that's not always easy to do when you are eating out,” said Trish Kazacos, Wegmans' corporate nutritionist, in a statement. “The Half-Plate Guide works so well because it's easy to follow, simple to remember and doesn't stop people from enjoying the foods they love.”

The Half-Plate Guide falls under Wegmans' “eat well. live well” initiative, a companywide set of everyday tips and challenges aimed at helping people achieve healthy lifestyles. There's diet advice, like portion control and the “Strive for 5” plan, which recommends five cups of fruits and vegetables per day. There are also tips on how to stay active around the office and at home. A few examples: Stroll over to a co-worker's desk rather than send an email, take the dog for a walk every night, and park the car farther than usual from a store entrance to create a longer walk.

There's also the “eat well. live well” challenge on the Wegmans website, which asks individuals to keep a daily log of their diet and exercise, then log in and input everything onto the site, which tracks progress over time.