New My Plate Icon and Guidelines

     I'm sure by now you have heard of or seen the USDA's new My Plate icon as the next generation My Pyramid. The what and how much of My Pyramid has not changed, but the format is simpler to understand, and easier to put into practice for many people. The new My Plate allows people to see exactly how their plates should look at most meals. While My Pyramid may have left many people confused by its use of the term "servings", My Plate gives a visual that is much more user friendly. Here is a look at the new My Plate icon:

   
     The idea is to model your plate around this icon at each of your meals. This is helpful in making sure you meet the recommendations for each food group on a daily basis.

     The guidelines for eating that USDA recommends to go along with the new icon are easy to understand and use as well:

Balancing Calories:

•      Enjoy your food, but eat less
•      Avoid over-sized portions

Foods to Increase:

•      Make half our plate fruits and vegetables
•      Make at least half your grains whole grains
•      Switch to fat free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk

Food to Decrease:

•      Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals - and choose foods with lower numbers
•      Drink water instead of sugary drinks (see http://nutritionall-rd.blogspot.com/2011/08/sugar-content-of-common-beverages.html for more information about how much sugar is in common beverages).

     Try to use the My Plate icon as a guideline for you and your family's eating pattern. Adherence to these guidelines is linked to better healthy including: heart health, weight loss, and less cancer!

For more information on the new My Plate format of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, visit: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. The website has a lot of information on how to use the new icon, a Tip of the Day segment, and details on the dietary guidelines for specific groups such as children and pregnant women.

Cheers,
Brittney