Goodbye
food pyramid diagram. Hello MyPlate. MyPlate is the current nutrition
guide published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It depicts
a plate divided into five food groups with a glass of milk. In July
2011, MyPlate replaced the USDA's MyPyramid ending its controversial 19
year reign. Soon, the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard
Medical School developed the Healthy Eating Plate. This version makes
distinctions about the grains and proteins to be consumed and replaces
milk with water. Harvard points out that its plate gives consumers the
healthiest choices in the major food groups based exclusively on the
best available science rather than political and commercial pressures.
So, who is right? Is one plate better than the other? Is there a
Canadian alternative? Our Clinical Director Laurence D. Levy, RD
explains.
The
dinner plate as a model for healthy eating began in Sweden in the 1980s
and has been embraced by dietitians in Canada and Europe. Both the
American Dietetic Association and the American Institute for Cancer
Research use it to help members with weight management and risk
reduction. As the US and the world face a growing obesity epidemic, the
very best nutrition advice is critical. To that end, both plates are
moving us into healthier choices.
Harvard’s
Healthy Eating Plate goes well beyond dividing a plate into three
coloured sections. It shows that a plant-based diet rich in vegetables,
whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins – when combined with
staying active - can lower the risk of weight gain and chronic disease.
It clearly offers the healthier choices for each food group while
suggesting what to avoid and limit. It reminds us to choose healthy
vegetable oils and recommends drinking more water.
It
takes some digging on the USDA website to learn that whole grains are a
better choice than refined grains, or that beans, nuts, fish, and
chicken are healthier choices than red meat. Healthy fats, key to heart
health are not featured on the plate or on the table.
I’m
concerned that the USDAs MyPlate is not a decisive and proactive
solution towards shifting Americans away from the Standard American
Diet which includes high doses of carbohydrates, fats, and processed
foods.
In
Canada we still use Health Canada’s Canadian Food Guide for Healthy
Eating. So far, no “plates” have been proposed by Dietitians of Canada
or Canadian health organizations. Yet, various provinces and
associations have proposed versions of Harvard’s Healthy Plate and the
USDAs. At NDC we most resonate with the Healthy Plate’s approach.
Our
next blog looks at family meals, ways to reduce the challenge of coming
together for a meal, plus ways parents can encourage their kids to eat
right.
