A Healthy You: Goodbye Food Pyramid, Hello My Plate

The USDA unveiled a new symbol for healthful eating this month, abandoning the nearly 20 year old food guide pyramid.The new guide is a plate consisting of four colored sections, for fruit, vegetables, grains, and protein. Beside the plate is a smaller circle for dairy suggesting milk or yogurt. Fruits and vegetables section take up half the plate and grains and protein take up the other half the plate.The vegetables and grain portions are slightly larger than the fruit and protein section. Gone is any references to sugars, fats and oils. The new symbol is designed to suggest the mantra of make half your plate fruits and vegetables.Of course, not every meal that we eat is going to fit nicely on a plate since the majority of the foods we eat are all mixed up such as sandwiches, casseroles, pizza, etc.The USDA wants to get the consumers attention and really encourage people to eat significantly more fruits and vegetables, and that alone would be an achievement. The USDA is not telling people what to eat, but are trying to give them some guidelines.The reality is that very few of us eat what has been suggested. There is a world of difference between what’s being served and what’s on “my plate”.The plate symbol is meant to help complement the government’s latest dietary guidelines, released in January. Key highlights from those recommendations are to consume less sodium, added sugar and fat and fill half your plates with fruits and vegetables.

Healthy You is a regular column about nutrition, healthy living and cancer care. It is written by Cindy Gates, RD and LD and the Cancer Center’s Oncology dietitian, herbalist and Certified Wellness Coach.