The "Plate" Replaces the "Food Pyramid" for Healthy Children

"MyPlate" Replaces the Food Pyramid

Some people blamed the original food pyramid for the current epidemic of adult and childhood obesity and were looking forward to a revision of the food pyramid by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Many were disappointed to find that not much had changed in the actual dietary guidelines that make up the pyramid or in the revised food pyramid in 2007. Instead, most of the changes were in how the guidelines were presented, supposedly making them more easily understandable so that people could actually follow them and learn to make healthier choices.

Although the food pyramid has always seemed simple, many people misunderstood the original ranges in servings for each food group or didn't even know what a serving was supposed to be, which led to a lot of oversized portions and overeating. And unfortunately, the revised customized pyramid plans never really caught on.

MyPlate

Whatever its shortcomings, the food pyramid has been retired.

In its place - MyPlate, a simple place setting to help everyone visualize eating a healthy meal with the five food groups (fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups).

"This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we're eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we're already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it's tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates. As long as they're half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we're golden. That's how easy it is."

The key MyPlate messages are that to eat healthier, everyone should build a healthy plate by:

• avoiding oversized portions
• making half of their plate fruits and vegetables, including a variety of colors and eating fruits, vegetables, or unsalted nuts as snacks
• switching to fat-free or low-fat milk (or try calcium-fortified soy drinks as a dairy alternative)
• eating grains, but making sure that at least half of your grains are whole grains
• varying your choices of proteins, such as by eating seafood twice a week, eating beans, and eating small portions of lean meat and poultry

You can still create a daily food plan too, but a quick glance at your plate will help you know if you are on track. A plate that is full of chicken nuggets, pizza, or pasta at each meal isn't going to help you eat a healthy diet with all of the food groups.
That's important, because dietary guidelines haven't changed.
Using the MyPlate site will reinforce other healthy eating lessons, such as:

• enjoying your food, but eating less.
• eating fruit for dessert
• making half of your grains whole grains
• eating a variety of protein foods
• cutting back on sweet treats
• avoid extra salt and sodium by comparing nutrition labels
• drinking water instead of sugary drinks

The MyPlate site also includes sample menus, food group based recipes, and ideas for kid-friendly veggies and fruits.

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