Local Nutrition Expert Weighs In On New Food Plate Diagram

The new way to eat healthier: Follow the food plate — not the food pyramid.

The USDA introduced the plate symbol Thursday. It replaced the pyramid, which was first introduced in 1992.

The plate is sliced into four wedges of food groups: fruits, vegetables, protein and grains.

Dairy is represented as a glass of milk.

“I think the food plate look will really help parents understand exactly how much fruits and vegetables kids need to consume,” said Wanda Grant, Food Services Director for the Palm Springs Unified School District.

Grant said the district had been following the food plate diagram for a long time. The USDA requires that at least half of students’ plates are fruits and vegetables, she said.

Now, it’s time for families to follow suit.

“Kids eat at school what they eat at home,” said Grant. “So, if they’re not eating fruits and vegetables at home, we have a hard time having them to pick them up and consume them at school.”

Nutritionist and fitness trainer Dennis Mason also prefers the food plate over the pyramid.

The plate is easier to follow, he said.

“This is the first time — for as long as I’ve been a trainer which is 30-something years — which makes healthy sense,” he said.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you still can follow the food plate. Mason advised to choose leaner, raw and organic food items.

“Try to eat foods that look like what they are,” he said. “So, a potato should look like a potato. A baked potato…that’s fine. Just don’t put all the stuff that you would normally put.”

If you’re wondering how big of a portion you should be eating per meal, Mason said your entire meal should be no more than the size of your stomach.

First Lady Michelle Obama helped introduce the food plate icon, which boosts her national initiative to beat obesity.

It’s unknown how long this food plate will stick around, but consider that food pyramid as ancient.

Just like the other pyramids we learned about in school.