USDA MyPlate Healthy Pasta Recipe Builder Infographic

USDA MyPlate Healthy Pasta Recipe Builder Infographic

Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and into the future. The USDA developed MyPlate to illustrate the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet—fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Unsurprisingly, pasta figures into such a balanced diet! In the infographic provided here by Barilla, you'll see the basic building blocks of a nutritious pasta recipe under 500 calories and all of the possible combinations that will help keep your diet balanced.

Pasta is a healthy food. One baseball sized serving of pasta contains plant-based protein and is an excellent source of folate, a good source of iron, and provides a variety of B vitamins. Pasta also partners perfectly with vegetables, beans, lean proteins, olive oil and herbs—exactly the kinds of nutrient-rich foods you should choose more often.

Use this recipe builder to create healthy pasta dishes and MyPlate as your guide to developing a nutritious diet and maintaining it for a lifetime. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn more.