...of the new MyPlate replacing our good 'ol Food Pyramid? Truth is, I'm not sure how I feel about it! I'm being totally honest.
I like the visual MyPlate gives children and adults. However when I taught health, I believe the children did respond to the food pyramid when it was taught correctly. I have a few concerns such as,
What size plate is this? There are no specific measurements and if I'm looking at this, I'm thinking WOW that's A LOT of food, right? You might laugh but we're in Texas where the famous saying originated, EVERY THING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS...so our plates are outta control! Seriously. When I show people a portion or the plate that we use at home, they flip out saying, "that's too small" or "I'll never get full off of that little bit"! But that might be a Texas thing?! Not sure. And another concern, people-especially children enjoy sweets/fats on occasion, right?
Where are sweets/fats listed? So, because it's not on THIS MyPlate, does that mean there's no specific portions for those? I liked showing children, "Look here's the fats, oils, sweets and they are in a very small triangle toward the top. This means in moderation and in small amounts, we can add these to our diet at certain times!" Am I wrong??! I might be too critical because I am a health educator and from a teaching stand point, I'm not sure the entire message is being sent with our new symbol. BUT, I was not 100% happy with the pyramid...so,
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Here's a little info that I found on their
website.
I'd love to know your comments, questions and concerns about our new symbol of healthy eating as well??
Balancing Calories
●
Enjoy your food, but eat less.
●
Avoid oversized portions.
Foods to Increase
●
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
●
Make at least half your grains whole grains.
●
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
Foods to Reduce
●
Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
●
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
**Today's Workout: Includes laying out by the pool, playing with my boys and hanging out with family over at my in-law's. Hey, at least I'm being honest right??!
Here's a little info that I found on their website. I'd love to know your comments, questions and concerns about our new symbol of healthy eating as well?? 
3 comments:
I like it because I think the visual is much easier for kids to understand than the pyramid. It's up to adults to take charge and explain that in a well-balanced diet, there is room for treats - just not with every meal. It's not entirely the responsability of the government to provide a picture and have that be the end of the issue - the plate is very good, I think, for facilitating parent/child discussions. I know not everyone likes it (a lot of people have had an issue with the dairy being off to the side, and with it being dairy in general - more of a government issue), but there are a lot of good new things about it too (like how it says "protein" and not "meat").
If you explore the website, there are a lot of great resources, too - for example, a breakdown of serving/portion sizes for different calorie plans. I think they're great - again, as facilitators, not as an end-all plan to follow blindly.
This is the first time I've looked at it, so thanks for sharing. I have mixed feelings...it looks pretty simple, which is always good. But I agree, there are no real guidelines, so I don't know if they couldn't have done better with that. It will be interesting to see people's comments!
I do like the new plate but you're right...there are no guidelines really. It can be a good visual for kids but then again I did like the pyramid too! We'll see how it translates to education. I like the reminder to fill half your plate with veggies....I need that!
Post a Comment