Nutrition and healthy eating

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• February 23, 2013 12:03 p.m.

  Jennifer, thanks for the great info. you continue to provide on eating and living healthy. I'm a teacher, living in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. I'm also a teacher, in a Toronto elementary school. There's not one day that passes where I'm not in some kind of chat with family, colleagues and students about the very topic of healthy lifestyle choices (i.e., "eating habits" and levels of "activity"). I try not to impose my views or opinions on "what" people should or shouldn't eat...but rather I inform those I speak with about the pros and cons about the "choices" we make - "food for thought". What they "choose" to do with the info. is entirely up to them. However, I confess there is a bit more "leading" toward healthier choices with family members and friends (or anyone who asks) because I feel I owe them at least a bit more than what society is providing. On another not, I was pondering the "MyPlate" dilemma. Would it not be great to use a bicycle. One wheel can have a plate similar to the "MyPlate" and the other wheel can show a "pie" of "other" important things people need to achieve a "total" healthy lifestyle (including amount of sleep, etc.). The bike itself would essentially represents the "bringing it all together"..."which includes missing "exercise" or "activity" portion you spoke to. So, imagine now a picture with a

  - Nino

• February 20, 2013 8:17 a.m.

  While "The Plate" is MUCH better than the pyramid, they still haven't taken into account the needs of homes with two working adults. A lot of the meals on the sample menus, specifically for breakfast and lunch, require cooking. I, for one, am at work during breakfast and lunch, and do not have the ability to cook at work, save for microwavable meals. I realize that meals can be prepared ahead of time and heated at work but, honestly, who has time to do all that in the evening between taking care of children, cleaning the house and doing home repair projects all while trying to squeeze in at least an hour of exercise per day. I would love to see some quick and easy, yet portable healthy meal plans available for those of us who don't have the time to cook three meals per day...

  - Tara

• January 25, 2013 6:58 a.m.

  It's amazing how man has placed so much effort trying to figure the food we should eat. The foods we should eat has been made known since God created us (even for the evolutionists). Read Genesis 1:29. If you obey his Word, he will sustain you. It works! God's Word is better than man's. Only trust in the Lord, not man.

  - James

• May 22, 2012 8:06 a.m.

  I've struggled with trying to gain weight my whole life. I have tried to figure out the pyramid, which I had on my refrigerator door for a long time, but it was impossible for me to figure out how to translate it into three meals per day. The plate is just what I needed. I'm a visual person, and this was perfect.

  - Wilma

• May 20, 2012 6:04 p.m.

  The "pyramid" was so upside down in health guidelines that it probably caused a lot of disease (heart disease, type II diabetes, etc) . Why then would I follow a "new" guideline handed to us by the same people that gave us the pyramid?

  - marce

• February 16, 2012 3:26 a.m.

  Really? You can't figure out why exercise is not put on an icon of a dinner plate? Does your family exercise on the dinner table? The plate is a great visual, much better than having a sweaty guy doing pushups on a tomato.

  - linda

• October 28, 2011 12:26 p.m.

  Love this new icon..makes it easier to see because its on a plate. Its a very clever idea. Love it!

  - Kathy

• August 14, 2011 5:32 a.m.

  I have Type II diabetes and have looked everywhere for sample meals for two to three carbs per meal. Is there a book or software package that will provide this? It takes a lot of time to plan these meals for a day. The nutritionist gave me books and one page with sample meals.

  - Mary

• August 7, 2011 5:48 p.m.

  It is suggested to use low-fat dairy but usually the lack of fat increases the salt content & vise versa. How do you balance them if you would like to keep both items in some sort of balance?

  - Andrea

• June 28, 2011 4:38 p.m.

  Glad to see 'Protein' instead of Meat, Poultry and Fish because plant-based proteins are healthier than animal-based proteins. Read the 'China Study' by Dr T.Colin Campbell to learn more. A plant-based diet is actually the cure for cancer, heart-disease, diabetes and a lot of other ailments, but we have been brainwashed by the meat and processed foods industries to think that we need animal-protein and lots of it. Also glad to see that the 'protein' portion of the plate is decreasing because it is a myth that humans need as much protein as what is recommended in the government diets. Not happy to see 'Dairy' being forced on people again. Water should have been shown there instead. More and more of the population is lactose-intolerant and more and more studies point to a protein in milk as the main cause of Type I (juvenile) diabetes. A brand new documentary on milk will be coming out very soon.

  - Eric

• June 13, 2011 11:28 p.m.

  The plate icon is elegant in it's simplicity, but the math puzzles me. If you've accounted for 100% of the food intake, the how much is a "little" dairy. Vit. D. and calcium are so important for both children and adults. I'd love to see a bottle of "clear" water as a drink and perhaps a simple illustration of cardio/core/flexibility & toning exercises (using stick-like figures?)running around the edges of the place mat. Exercise/movement is inextricable from good nutrition if what you are trying to promote is the prevention of obesity and the maintenance of health. Perhaps making the plate larger in proportion to the foods might convey the concepts of smaller portion sizes. More accurate color choices for the food groups might be nice because color on a plate can be a sign of good nutritional choices, but protein does not generally come in purple. The vegetable color should be dark green and the fruits dark blue/purple to convey those choices within those groups which have the most nutritional value. Over all, a very nice try to simplify the message about food choices. Useful as a teaching tool for children, especially.

  - DrJ

• June 13, 2011 11:24 a.m.

  I like the plate icon it is a no brainer. I would think the physical activity symbol is not included on the plate because the plate is about nutrition not exercise. The maybe should come up with an exercise mat with cardio, strength, balance and flexability.

  - Pam

• June 13, 2011 8:58 a.m.

  Tina: You asked about the recommended servings of protein for the 2,000-calorie DASH diet (as shown in our guide to DASH servings). Yes 6 or fewer servings a day is correct. It may seem high, but keep in mind that DASH defines 1 serving as 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry or fish. So the recommendation translates to no more than 6 ounces a day of protein. Thanks for your question.

  - MayoClinic.com Staff

• June 11, 2011 1:14 p.m.

  I think that the old food pyramid was a much more easily understood graphic representation than the “My Plate” one. A few years ago they came out with an “improved” pyramid that looked like it had a flying buttress or something going up the side, but it didn’t seem to gain much favor because it was too complicated. I think that the new “My Plate symbol” is harder to visualize. They should leave the old pyramid alone; if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

  - Ron

• June 10, 2011 12:18 p.m.

  Is there a typo on website - see DASH diet section. It states "Lean meat, poultry and fish (6 or fewer servings a day)" assuming this should be (6 or fewer servings a WEEK)??

  - Tina

• June 10, 2011 10:52 a.m.

  I think the new icon is easily understood and at least attempts to address portion size as well as nutritional balance questions. However, the pyramid made pretty much the same points, and even with a different icon, if people continue to eat huge portions of high fat or processed foods, we will continue to be a nation of the overweight and under-healthy. As to the comment about the government telling us what to do, I would counter that by asking why the government shouldn't put out healthy eating guidelines, since obesity is a public health issue that costs billions of dollars in healthcare expenses? No one is forcing you to follow these recommendations - that's what the words guideline/recommendation mean.

  - Wendy

• June 10, 2011 12:17 a.m.

  Vegies are detox. It keep the body cool. Added with good workout, makes your body grow.

  - Rajiv

• June 9, 2011 10:18 a.m.

  I fail to understand why there continues to be so much opposition to low carb diets! With the New Atkins Diet I lost in less than one month what it took several months to lose on a Weight Watchers program. My blood pressure was reduced, my LDLs increased,hunger was eliminated, I enjoyed higher salt and saturated fats (which are essential components for normal metabolism and growth)and I did not have to spend so much time and worry about portion control. Using the Pyramid our nation has doubled in obesity. Why don't we start pushing low carb diets??

  - Gary

• June 9, 2011 8:50 a.m.

  Why do those in govt. think they need to regulate our lives. It is like we do not know or aren't smart enough to know what we need to eat. They need to get a real job, oh I forgot, our gov't. arranged to send them all overseas.

  - Charlie

• June 9, 2011 2:12 a.m.

  myplate is very much similar to mayocclinic pramid only neglated workout.

  - iraj

• June 8, 2011 8:15 p.m.

  I am glad that dairy is not ignored as it is in some "trendy" guidelines being promoted (those that eliminate all animal protein) but it would be nice if the description read lowfat dairy.

  - Margo

• June 8, 2011 6:59 p.m.

  MyPlate? Why not iPlate, just for the heck of it? The old food pyramid quite abstract?! Oh just give me a break! I could easily fit a double whopper on your myplate, with a milk shake on the side (lots of fries for veggies and few slices of tomato for fruit). If you are trying to re-invent and idiot-proof food and life, you’ll have to do better than this!

  - Maya

• June 8, 2011 5:23 p.m.

  As important as exercise is, it was not part of the useless pyramid that we had as a guideline for years. This is such a good visual image and so easy to get a good idea about the "main basic food groups" that are required for a healthy diet. By the way, when you cook these foods you'll include the fats and oils necessary for the daily diet, that were "left out", as someone mentioned. People appear to need to be told what to do in detail. It's easier to criticize than to be positive. More people will understand "my plate" than the useless pyramid.

  - Susana

• June 8, 2011 4:57 p.m.

  This is much easier for the public to visualize servings. It does not take into consideration dessert ( fruit could have been on a separate small plate ) and I agree that exercise is a huge issue with healthy eating and lifestyle.

  - Caroline

• June 8, 2011 4:01 p.m.

  I don't understand why healthy fats/oils are not represented in this new concept. They are as essential to our diet as any of the other elements. Even Weight Watchers requires 2 teaspoons per day. Just because it's a minute percentage of what is engested, it should not be overlooked. Therefore, I think I'll stick to the pyramid concept.

  - Claudia