First Lady Michelle Obama, together with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, introduced the MyPlate image to improve eating habits in the United States. The MyPlate icon replaced the earlier MyPyramid model as a tool to encourage individuals to consider how to put together a nutritious plate.
The MyPlate Concept
The MyPlate concept is based on the idea that healthy eating is about balance—not counting calories or fat grams. Here is how the new recipe for good eating works:
Eat more fruits and vegetables: Half of a plate full of fruits and vegetables is the most visible change. You can use various fresh and cooked fruits and vegetables in meals.
Make half your grains whole: At least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. Whole grains contain more nutrients and fiber than white or refined grains.
The Food Pyramid
The USDA introduced the Food Pyramid in 1992. It was a colorful chart designed to be an easy way to teach people how to make healthy food choices. The chart has been revised in the past. People are used to the idea of the Food Pyramid and generally understand what it stands for. Yet, some people felt that they weren’t getting the most helpful advice from the original pyramid. Some of the revised pyramid points were unpopular; others were hard to understand.
The Purpose of the Original Food Pyramid
You created the Food Pyramid to be an easy-to-understand food guide. The pyramid advised people to eat more bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. In addition, it is recommended that less than 30 percent of their diet consist of red meat. The Food Pyramid also recommended that people eat fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
The Purpose of the New Food Pyramid
The original Food Pyramid was designed to help individuals make healthy food choices. The new Food Pyramid was designed to do the same thing. However, the latest version is easy to understand. It focuses on proper nutrition, not limiting portion sizes or specific food choices.
The Comparisons Between MyPlate and the Food Pyramid
MyPlate and the Food Pyramid both offer suggestions on making better food choices. They focus on eating the right amounts and combinations of foods to provide essential nutrients.
MyPlate’s message is that good nutrition is about balance. It focuses on the different kinds of foods you eat, not the number of calories or the role of specific nutrients.
The Food Pyramid focused on limiting the number of foods from specific groups—grains, meats, and dairy products. The primary role of the Food Pyramid was to help individuals learn how to make only proper food choices.
The MyPlate Approach
MyPlate is centered on fruits, vegetables, protein, and grains. It suggests that individuals get half their plate filled with fruits and vegetables. It also indicates that individuals fill the other half with whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
The MyPlate approach differs from the Food Pyramid by focusing on what foods you eat instead of a specific food group. In other words, it is less about what you don’t eat and more about what you should be eating.
Conclusion
The purpose of the MyPlate emblem is to promote healthy eating habits among Americans. Individuals who consult the MyPlate logo will find that the symbol makes it easier to make good food choices. If a person focuses on eating a balanced diet instead of counting calories and fat grams, that individual is more likely to feel satisfied and healthy.
Both the Food Pyramid and the MyPlate emblem focus on promoting good health. They encourage individuals to understand which foods they should and shouldn’t eat. Both emblems concentrate on making food choices based on the nutritional value of foods consumed. The main difference between the two emblems is that the MyPlate emblem advises individuals to eat a balanced diet.
To achieve your weight loss goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle, contact Weigh to Wellness now to speak with one of our experienced dietitians in Birmingham, AL. Board-certified medical doctors with more than 25 years of weight management expertise oversee all of our weight loss programs. Give us a call right now to go through all of your weight loss alternatives with you.