United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the primary goal of improving nutrition and total well being of Americans. And this has brought about release of the Food Pyramid Guide and other food guidance systems that they believe is a way to extend help in promoting good health, including MyPlate. Every one of them was geared towards achievement of good health and nutrition.
The latest that have garnered much comment is their MyPlate
that is said to be the easier version of the Food Pyramid Guide. Easier in the sense that it is simpler for lay people to understand what health professionals are trying to convey to which foods should be included in our meals. After all, balanced diet is what composes the right diet.
You would notice that both MyPlate and the Fpood Pyramid are subdivided to food groups: fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, dairy and fat. But they both have their flaws.
MyPlate failed to mention the sizes and the number of servings.
If you are onto dieting and you will be provided with MyPlate, you will end up worrying how much of the food groups will have to be partaken. The diagram is misleading as it is incomplete. One cannot base every meal of everyday on this. How would you know the percentage? There is no indication. There is none even to base as example. It can mean many things: one can pile up beans on the portion for grains, or have as many fruits as long as they fit in the fruits part, and so on. It is not a viable tool to use for ordinary people as it is.
Size of plate and size of serving and portion is crucial piece of information which MyPlate lacks.
It is the key to success in achieving desirable body weight. The diagram should have included some kind of “measure”. One must know the amount of food allowed for the day and for every meal to be able to stay on recommended allowance. This will help in limiting caloric intake to what is most appropriate. And a plate to guide you through it will be your tool to make it easier such as Precise Portions dinnerware. It will be your way of training yourself to follow the required amount and proportions.