My Plate vs. My Pyramid

After 18 years of the Food Pyramid era, on June 2nd, Lady Obama together with the Secretary of Agriculture announced the new icon called "My plate". The icon itself serves as a reminder for healthy eating, but it does not provide specific messages. You are encouraged to go on the website www.choosemyplate.gov to learn more about each components of the "plate".
The new icon is also introduced together with the new updated 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which published earlier this year to provide guidance on how to eat well. 

The key selected messages from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines are:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals—and choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For me as a dietitian, I'll still be using the 2005 version of "my pyramid" as a nutrition education tool together with the new "plate". I like the pyramid because it shows all the food groups we need and has included exercise in the picture; while "my plate" presents an easy to understand image as a guide for meal planning. The new icon will help parents to think of what to prepare for kids are best at meal time.

Healthy Eating for Cancer Prevention + Cooking Demonstration(Chinese) 
Date: 6/11/11 (Saturday) 
Time: 1:30pm - 4:00pm 
Location: San Marino Center: 1800 Huntington Drive, San Marino
Free admission 
Limited seats please reserve through email

Special Thanks for Hazel Ng, R.D. for providing this information