The USDA unveiled new guidelines today for watching what you eat. Since 1992 we've had a
food pyramid to guide what we eat and how much. Now we have a plate.
MyPlate, as it's called, is being
hailed by nutritionists as significantly better than the pyramid. They say the sectioned plate is a better visual for people who want to know how much of certain foods they should be eating during meals. The plate has four sections of varying sizes, grains and vegetables are the biggest along with the smaller fruits and protein sections. Also, next to the plate is a cup for dairy.
According to the new recommendations from the USDA, you should eat less by avoiding oversized portions, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables (more vegetables than fruit), make at least half of your grain intake, whole grains, use skim or 1% milk, choose lower sodium foods and drink more water in place of high sugar drinks.
Do you think the plate is better than the pyramid? For more information, go to the
USDA's MyPlate website where you can find more tips, read up on
physical activity and learn about "
empty calories."
