Is MyPlate the right template for your plate?

So here's the new MyPlate from the USDA (graphic shown below with PCRM's Power Plate for comparison). It comes with some written guidelines, most of which are linked through the navigation on the left side of their screen. While the basics are easy to see in the graphic, the details take a little more time to suss out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the views of some experts *

The protein portion of the USDA's MyPlate is unnecessary, because beans, whole grains, and vegetables are loaded with it. And it is a shame that MyPlate reserves a special place for dairy products, which are packed with fat and cholesterol and may increase the risk of health problems ranging from asthma to some types of cancer. There are many more healthful sources of calcium.

~ Dr. Neal Barnard, Blog

 

While nutrition researcher Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health, said the new plate is a "step in the right direction" with "reasonable proportions," it doesn't provide enough information to really guide Americans. "They need simple information but not so simple that most important information is lost."

He said he'd like to see some mention of dietary fats — which ones to choose like olive oil — and which to avoid like the trans fats in margarine and deep fried foods. And he thinks that protein choices shouldn't all be listed equally since nuts, fish, and skinless chicken breast are more healthful overall than red meat, even cuts that are lean.

The emphasis on a dairy serving at every meal, he added, is also "misguided" since the latest research indicates that increasing our calcium intake won't do much to prevent bone fractures later in life.

~ Boston Globe, New food plate icon: will it change how you eat?

 

Here at Marilu.com, we prefer PCRM's Power Plate. The obvious reason is that it leaves out dairy, which Marilu has said is meant to "turn a 50-pound calf into a 300-pound cow in 6 months." Calcium is more readily available from plant sources, without the added fat and cholesterol (not to mention the other ugly things that come from factory-farmed cows). We also like the emphasis on a plant-based diet, which can provide plenty of protein, although people who choose to eat some lean animal protein could adapt the Power Plate for that.

We do think that MyPlate is a vast improvement over the pyramid, and if we need baby steps to eat healthier, then MyPlate is at least a couple of baby steps in the right direction.