How do you know if a recipe is a 75% or 25% plate choice?
If the ingredients are mostly 75% plate foods, like vegetable soup, the recipe is a choice for the 75% zone.
If it is mainly made from 25% plate foods, like lasagna, the recipe is a 25% plate food choice.
Of course, you'll find recipes and dishes combining 75% and 25% zone foods. For those, consider the recipe or dish to take up a section of your 75% plate and all of your 25% plate at that meal.
The most straightforward advice is to be mindful and do your best to keep those 25% plate items in that allotted space. If you’re in doubt, treat the recipe as a 25% plate choice and fill up the remainder of your plate with 75% food choices. When you do that, you know you’ll make the healthiest choices.