Monday, June 6, 2011

Will Anyone Miss the Food Guide Pyramid? Probably Not

The Food Guide Pyramid has FINALLY been decommissioned! I can remember as a student having anxiety about trying to teach about the pyramid. Which is ridiculous, the whole point of the Pyramid was to educate consumers about making healthy food choices. You shouldn’t need a professional to explain it.  
A very good Dietitian taught me during my internship to use a plate model, and I found that it was easy for me to teach, and easy for patients to learn. The best part of a plate model is that you don’t need any fancy graphics. If you have a paper and pencil, you can draw one in about 15 seconds. It’s also easy to modify for special diets like diets for celiac disease, diabetes, heart disease, food allergies, and weight loss.
The new My Plate program pictures a plate divided into sections with half the plate full of fruits and vegetables. A small amount of dairy, protein, and grains complete the plate. Check out these articles for more on the My Plate program. USDA press release, and npr.org.
I am extremely happy that the USDA has seen the light and found a simpler way to educate the public about healthy nutrition. It gives me hope. Maybe honest, simple, straight forward food labels will be next…..
A girl can dream;)

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