‘My Plate’ food guidelines a welcome change Health Tips

‘My Plate’ food guidelines a welcome change

The government got it right. Putting food on a plate makes a lot more sense than stacking it in a pyramid. Welcome to My Plate, the new food guidance system from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This plate is for everyone who asked for the bottom line on how to eat healthfully. The dominant message is about plant-based foods. Fruits, vegetables and grains cover three-quarters of the plate, and thats as it should be. There is no substitute for the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in a colorful array of produce.

The plates remaining quadrant is assigned to protein, a way to accommodate all styles of eating from omnivores to vegans. Click on the protein section of the plate at www.choosemyplate.gov and youll be taken to a comprehensive list of protein-rich foods meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, bean and peas, nuts and seeds.

The glass of dairy next to the plate has caused a buzz among those who have issues with milk products, but you can think of it as a serving of any calcium-rich food. That could be yogurt, cheese, milk (cows, soy, almond, rice, etc.) or even a cup of kale, which has two-thirds as much calcium as a serving of milk.

The interactive My Plate website is full of useful tools. Click on any section of the plate for information about the food group, including suggested portion sizes. To the left of the plate is a menu that leads to a daily meal planner, Foodapedia, with calorie information and a food tracker.

None of this is new information, but it is an improved package that is consumer friendly. The most important message behind these guidelines is this: Enjoy tasty foods and be mindful of how much you eat.

Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian on the faculty of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Virtual Health Center