The Food Pyramid Turned Plate

The Food Pyramid has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years due to the USDA’s indecisiveness.

Well, now the Pyramid has completely morphed into a Plate…of all objects! That’s right, if you’re behind the times, its recommended that children and adults now follow the “Food Plate.”

How the Plate Looks

The very last edition of the Food Pyramid decided to omit the sweet, sugars, oils, and fats category, which is about the only similarity that we could find between The Pyramid and The Plate.

As for the Plate, its made up of four pie slices that include the food groups of : Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, and Protein. And on the upper right hand corner there is a drinking glass-like object that represents dairy.

And in terms of the breakdown, the Vegetable pie slice seems to be the largest, followed by Grains, Fruit, and then Protein. Dairy is obviously the smallest of the food groups, which is why it was relegated to being the “drinking glass.”

The Guidelines

Every Food Pyramid has also come with written, bullet-point guidelines, and the Food Plate is no different (okay so there’s another similarity). These new guidelines fall under the category of Balancing Calories, Foods to Increase, and Foods to Reduce.

As for the caloric guidelines, people are instructed to “enjoy” what they eat, but to eat less and to avoid large portions. Can you enjoy food and not eat a lot of it?

Moving on to the foods we should eat and decrease, this is where the plate analogy comes into play. We’re instructed to fill half of our plate with fruits and veggies, and to make half of our grain portion whole grains. On top of that, its also wiser to drink fat-free or 1% milk according to the USDA.

On the other hand, foods that are high in sodium should be avoided. These include soups, breads, and even frozen meals. Lastly, a healthy diet will also include more water and less “sugary drinks.”

What I Think of the Change

As for my personal taste between the Food Pyramid and the Food Plate, I kind of prefer the Plate…as silly as that sounds. It’s a more simple analogy and look, and should catch on with people in no time as long as they can get over the fact that the Pyramid is gone.

That being said, I wouldn’t be overly surprised if the USDA switched back to the Pyramid or another object in the future. After all, it never seems like they can make up their mind.

If you want to learn more about the new Food Plate, click on this link.