Food Pyramid Replaced With Food Plate
BALTIMORE (WJZ)— Goodbye food pyramid. Hello food plate. The shape is different but the message remains the same: eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat.
Kai Jackson reports the new food guide sends a clear diet message, and those we talked with say the change was long overdue.
It's called "My Plate." It's a guide from the Department of Agriculture with the recommended foods Americans should be eating.
"We needed something that makes sense not just in classrooms or laboratories but at dinner tables and school cafeterias," said First Lady Michelle Obama.
First Lady Obama has been leading the charge to get American children to eat healthier and exercise.
Critics say what didn't make sense was the old food pyramid.
"A lot of dieticians were saying that the pyramid was hard to understand, consumers aren't getting it," said Alison Massey, a registered dietician.
The plate works like this: Experts say half should consist of fruits and vegetables, a quarter should be protein, another quarter whole grains. It also includes dairy.
"I'd like to see if consumers are actually going to take this and use this in their dinner time regimen," Massey said.
"I think it's going to be a lot easier to understand," said Pat Hodges, of Parkville.
Experts are also encouraging people to eat smaller portions and exercise. They say the benefit will be a reduction in heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other illnesses.
"Seems to be everything you need—fruits, grains, vegetables protein and dairy," said Earl Lasalle, of Parkville.
Some Republicans are criticizing the Obama administration, saying they're reaching too far by telling Americans what they can and can't eat.
