My Plate

Food Pyramid, My Plate, UDSA Plate 3 Responses »
Jun 022011

Well, here it is, the USDA’s My Plate, the replacement for the food pyramid:

 

USDA MyPlate

It was unveiled today, along with a new website, www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The site provides information on using the new USDA plate icon, along with updated nutritional recommendations and information in an easy-to-use format.

For example, the basic suggestions are to:

  • Balance calories  (reduce portions)
  • Increase certain foods (vegetables, fruits and whole grains)
  • Reduce other foods (sodium and sugary drinks)

These suggestions for use with the USDA My Plate are stated simply and clearly, and the brightly-colored plate visual may make it easier for people to remember. It is certainly much less confusing than the food pyramid.

The new website also includes information on each of the basic food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. There are lists of what is included in each group, and selection tips for making the most nutritious choices. Unfortunately,  some of the links do not seem to work right now.

Things become more complicated when you try to figure out how much of each type of food you should eat daily. The site introduces the concept of “equivalents’  in ounces, and makes daily recommendations based on age, gender and an assumption of 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise. You are left to figure out how that is all related to the portion size you should actually eat.

Changing the proportions of the foods we eat is a great place to start. But the size of plates we eat from has grown tremendously over the years. Nutritionists recommend that people eat from smaller plates, but simply suggesting that people switch from a 12 inch dinner plate to an 8 inch salad plate for all their meals doesn’t work. It’s too big a change all at once, and we all know that it is easier to make smaller changes. The DishDiet weight loss plan is based on gradual change, and will work very well when combined with the MyPlate recommendations.

Overall, the USDA My Plate seems to be an improvement over the food pyramid. Let’s hope this really does help people improve the way they their eating habits.

 

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USDA Plate to Replace Food Pyramid

Food Pyramid, UDSA Plate 1 Response »
Jun 012011

Say goodbye to the Food Pyramid. I’m guessing no one will miss it when a USDA plate symbol replaces it on Thursday. Most people found it confusing and not very useful when it came to making everyday food choices.

The round USDA plate will be divided into 4 sections. These different colored areas will show people visually how much they should eat from each of the food groups: vegetables and fruits, grains and proteins. There will also be a smaller circle next to the plate representing a serving of dairy.

Power Plate from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

The USDA plate symbol may be similar to the “Power Plate,” a graphic proposed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The USDA recently revised the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” It contains 116 pages of up-to-date nutritional information, but most people will certainly not bother to read it.

A simple, visual graphic showing the proper portions of food, combined with a few easy rules should help people make better food choices.

Although the plate symbol may resemble a “pie chart” or “pizza”, neither of those are necessarily images that officials want associated with the new symbol. The USDA is spending around $2 million for research, development and publicizing  the new logo and a website.

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