Skip to main content

Family Nutrition: My Plate

If you haven’t already gotten to take a look at the new icon from the USDA, take a minute and check out http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.  Last Thursday Michelle Obama unveiled the replacement to the food guide pyramid.  The new icon is a plate divided into four subdivisions designed to visually guide you in portioning protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

The website http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ replaces the www.mypyramid.gov website and provides some simple guidelines along with the new plate icon.  On the home page you can see some guidelines on how to balance calories, suggestions on foods to increase, and suggestions on foods to decrease.  The website also allows you to look up a food in the ‘My food-a-pedia.’   You can learn more about food groups, look into weight loss, and even plan a healthy meal.

What are my thoughts on the new icon? Well since you ask, I’d have to say I like it better as compared to the food guide pyramid.  I think the visual of the plate makes things simple and easy to understand, allowing for anyone to make immediate changes on their breakfast, lunch, and dinner plate.  At the same time, there is little information about types of fats and how to incorporate fats.  After multiple clicks and drilling down on the website you can find more information about each food group, it just takes a little exploring.

As I’ve said before, I use the plate method in my practice.  Clients find it easy to understand and adapt to.  I think utilizing the my plate is a great first step in making a change.  If you have a chronic or new illness, are unclear about the food groups, or looking for weight loss to coincide with utilizing the new icon, I suggest working with a dietitian.  In my opinion http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ is a great first step in making changes.  As always, a general guideline as this is not appropriate for any individual diagnosed with a chronic condition.  Schedule a visit with a dietitian who can help you make a plan that suits you best.  Have you checked out the new USDA icon?  What are your thoughts?  I’d love to hear them. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Miraculous Misconceptions: Raspberry Ketones

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this.   Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...
9 comments
Read more

Make it Happen

Parents, I see you. I see you putting everyone else's needs in front of yours. I see your dark circles under your eyes, your gray hair, that your wasting away, or that you've collectively gained weight over the years. It's time to put yourselves first because if you don't take care of yourself you won't be around to keep taking care of everyone else. So often friends, acquaintances, or clients say to me, "I don't know how you find the time to exercise." "How can you take the time away from everything else and get away to exercise?" "I wish I could actually focus on myself and exercise." Exercise to me is self care. It produces endorphins faster than any other activity I engage in. It  reduces my stress, keeps me healthy, increases flexibility, and gives me more energy to be on point with my busy kids and my demanding job. My exercise isn't extravagant and it doesn't take too much time. Here's my secret. I always ...
Post a Comment
Read more

To The Bones- A review from a dietitian

Friday July 14th, Netflix premiered the movie To The Bone.  Prior to the premier many had opinions of the movie. Some were fearful that it would glorify an Eating Disorder, some felt the movie would put too much focus on extremely thin patients with Eating Disorders neglecting those that are within normal weight but still extremely sick, and many had a lot of opinions about the lead actress who lost a significant amount of weight for the role disclosing she is in recovery for an Eating Disorder. My colleagues and I discussed the pretense of the movie, I communicated to families that the movie was coming out in case their daughters and sons watched the movie, and Friday I went home from work and viewed the movie. Although Hollywood has a way of sensationalizing everything there was a lot that the movie got right. The opening scene where Ellen counts the calories as soon as she sees the food is a good depiction of how someone with an Eating Disorder thinks. Food is not sensual ...
Post a Comment
Read more