pyramid, schmyramid

By now you've probably heard about the new dietary guidelines suggested by the USDA, but have you seen the new logo?  It's the updated food pyramid, y'all, and I think it's awesome!

I don't know if it's just that I'm a nerdy pie chart kinda girl or what, but I really think this visual helps a lot more than the old layers-of-a-pyramid version.  I mean, really?  Who eats a layer of grains, a layer of veggies, or a teeny tiny triangle of fats and oils? 

In my opinion, this one is a lot easier to understand and picture in your mind how much of each category of food you should be eating, especially when you don't have a picture of the USDA's logo recommendation right in front of you.  And it's on a plate!  A plate!  And the milk is in a cup-like shape!

Notice that the plate at first glance appears to be divided into quarters when really the vegetables and grains portions are larger than the fruits and protein portions.  The fat section has disappeared entirely which makes total sense to me since we usually get our fats automatically from the other food groups that we eat.  You can read more about it here but basically the additional suggestions are as follows.



Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

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

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

I might just print out a color copy of this and hang it near my desk at work.  Two thumbs up from me.