Step up to the plate

Published 12:29 am Friday, June 3, 2011

The pyramid is out. The ‘plate’ is in.

The Department of Agriculture, with the support of first lady Michelle Obama, revealed the newest food guidelines Thursday which should remind consumers to make healthier food choices.

The new guide comes in the form of a plate that is divided into four quadrants. Fruits and vegetables take up half of the plate while grains and protein make up the other half. The vegetable and grains portions are slightly larger than the fruits and proteins. A blue circle next to the plate represents dairy items such as milk, cheese or yogurt. You can see ‘My Plate’ on page 10A of today’s paper.

‘My Plate’ and its accompanying website, choosemyplate.gov, were developed by Robert Post of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that ‘My Plate’ is designed to be a suggestion rather than a directive about what to eat.

‘‘We are not telling people what to eat, we are giving them a guide,’’ Vilsack told The Associated Press. ‘‘We’re not suggesting they should not have a cookie or dessert, that’s not what it’s about.’’

It’s no secret that there is an obesity problem in this country which has resulted in increased instances of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.

We hope people will take the first step toward improved health by following the new USDA dietary recommendations.