Food pyramid out, 'My Plate' in for healthy eating

Dark Knight · Jun 2, 2011

WASHINGTON The Agriculture Department says "My Plate," its new healthy eating symbol, aims to show that nutrition doesn't have to be complicated.

"My Plate" a simple circle divided into quadrants that contain fruits, vegetables, protein and grains will replace USDA's food pyramid, which has been around in various forms since 1992. It comes with an accompanying website.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110602/ap_on_re_us/us_usda_my_plate

Jacie Estes · Jun 2, 2011

I hadn't seen this article, thanks for posting it.

Trident · Jun 2, 2011

I've seen something similar before, and it makes a lot of sense. Way back when people were more active, the pyramid may have made sense. Now, when we have less to do, we need a new eating style to go with the sedentary lifestyle.

tapu · Jun 2, 2011

The relative proportions of the 4 food groups on the plate are too similar to be meaningful. It's like, eat four of these different things, more of a couple, but who can remember which? If they'd made them just all the same size, the practical meaning would be easier to understand intuitively and apply.

kgeaux · Jun 2, 2011

tapu said:
The relative proportions of the 4 food groups on the plate are too similar to be meaningful. It's like, eat four of these different things, more of a couple, but who can remember which? If they'd made them just all the same size, the practical meaning would be easier to understand intuitively and apply.

I think it is as simple as can be. Half of your plate should be filled with fruit and veggies...slightly more veggies than fruit; the other half of the plate should be equally divided between grains and protien.

They have the portion sizes wrong, IMO. I think half the plate should be veggies and the other half should be divided into thirds of fruit, grains and protein.....but that is just an opinion!

I do remember having a plate with the portions marked on it Decades ago! I hung it on the kitchen wall as a decoration.

Daisyjane · Jun 3, 2011

When I was a kiddie (late 50s/early 60s) they taught the 'Seven Basic Food Groups'.

Meat, Fish, Poultry
Vegetables
Fruits
Dairy products
Breads and starches
Sweets
Fats

Back then, there was little fast food, people ate in restaurants only on special occasions, and the lion's share of food was bought at the store and prepared and consumed at home, or taken to work or school in a sack lunch. Parents had much more control over what the kiddies ate.

You can put the facts on a pyramid, put the photos on a plate, or put the words on a neon sign on Broadway. But if people want to eat donuts and chips, no pyramid or plate or sign will change their diet to fruit and salad.

Food pyramid out, 'My Plate' in for healthy eating

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Pretty scary.

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