Gone are the old pyramid's references to sugars, fats or oils - this is how minimal your sugar and fats intake should be! What was once a category called "meat and beans" is now simply "proteins," making way for seafood and vegetarian options like tofu. Next to the plate is a blue circle for dairy, which could be a glass of milk or a food such as cheese or yogurt.
"Parents don't have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of protein," Mrs. Obama said as she introduced the new graphic. "We do have time to look at our kids' plates."
Check out the new Choose My Plate website - and you can also read their Q & A page for further healthy eating advice.
Remember - The Food Pyramid Isn't a Joke! - you should be using this new image as a daily guideline! "It's not what you do once in a while; it's what you do day in and day out that makes the difference."
> What do you think about this new image? Will this be an easier reference (compared to the pyramid) for you to remember when making your daily food choices? Do you like that it is more vegetarian inclusive?
- Stephanie
Yay! I love that "meat" has been changed to "protein". I've wondered for years why they took such a primitive approach to getting the protein we need. Awesome post, Steph!
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a visually attractive "chart". My concern is that most Americans aren't that knowledgeable concerning what foods are included in these categories. If they include pictorial examples of what these foods can include, as the old chart did, it would make it more user-friendly. When you consider that the majority of the population that these changes were made for (fast food, junk food, lower income), there will need to be a good bit of education that goes along with this graphic. This is an excellent start to an epidemic problem. We haven't seen this kind of focus on health issues since Arnold Schwarzenegger headed up the Presidential Fitness Club back in the late 80's/early 90's. "Go Healthy Eating!" We all need to evaluate what & how much we eat. American dinner plates are definitely in need of "down-sizing".
ReplyDeleteGreat article: MyPyramid to MyPlate: New Food Icon is Unveiled In Washington, DC
ReplyDeletehttp://nutritionunplugged.com/2011/06/mypyramid-to-myplate-new-food-icon-is-unveiled-in-washington-dc/