Balancing to Much on Your Plate?

Did you catch the recent change to the USDA Food “Pyramid”?! Yeah that’s right the pyramid is gone and has been replaced by a PLATE… the MyPlate diagram to be exact.  Seem silly to you? Well actually the CocoaFit Crew thinks its genius… because it gives you a template to follow that makes sense. Cause come on, that pyramid took too long to figure out! We much prefer nutritional tools geared for the dietary challenged.

Now before you go thinking we’re insulting your intelligence; think about it, how many times have you looked at that man walking up that triangle with the DUH face, shake your head and just eat a burger n’ fries with extra lettuce and tomato?! Well with MyPlate you have a visual to use- look at MyPlate… look at your plate… make them “match” (Vegans we didn’t forget about you-see below).

According to the USDA’s website to be a nutritional success it will take (these are their words not our…hence the change in writing style):

• Balancing Calories
• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Food to Increase
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make at least half your grains whole grains
• Switch to fat-free or low fat (1%) milk *

*Our vegan followers, replace the dairy with calcium rich foods

• Foods to Reduce
• Compare sodium in foods like soups, bread, and frozen meals- and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

That’s simple enough right?! So we can all do better by our belly. Oh and before we go… note the MyPlate does NOT have:

1. Heaping portions.
2. Vegetables cooked with salt pork (or smoked turkey-don’t play).
3. Grains “hooked up” with butter and cheese.
4. Meat covered in gravy and…
5. There was no side of  Kool-aid!

That means YOUR plate shouldn’t either… we’re just saying.

(For more information on the MyPlate, please visit www.choosemyplate.gov)

1