How many of you were taught growing up that to get a proper diet you simply need to exercise and follow the standards set out on the Food Pyramid? Well bad news and good news. It turns out that the guide that you have been following for all of these years, The Food Pyramid, has been replaced by a newer guide called My Plate.
My Plate is a separation of the food groups into four different categories - fruits, grains, vegetables, and proteins, with dairy being just outside the main group. Michelle Obama was stated as saying to US Today, "This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we're eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country."
The basic idea is that the old food pyramid was too difficult for most people to grasp, as people tend to eat on plates. This new symbol is suppose to show the proper proportions of food. The new symbol is already gaining popularity amongst groups like Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers CEO Doug Kirchner said the following about the new icon: "(it) is really simple and easy to understand. My kids can understand this vs. the icon it is replacing that had gotten too complicated and tried to do too many things at once."
What do you think about the new symbol? Do you believe that this will truly bring people into a healthier lifestyle or do you believe the message has good intentions, but the practicality of it all is a little bit wish-washy. Please share with us your thoughts.