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In an effort to fight the obesity epidemic in the U.S., first
lady, Michelle Obama, along with the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Surgeon General have unveiled a new way for Americans to
look at food and food portions. It's called My Plate. "We needed something useful, s My Plate will take the place of the USDA's Food Pyramid,
which has been around in some form for almost two decades. Over the years,
many nutritionists have criticized the Food Pyramid as being too complicated:
something most Americans couldn't understand. Officials believe by replacing the pyramid with a plate,
eating healthier will become much easier. "It's difficult for people in
a busy life, you're trying to take care of the kids, you're
trying to get meals on the table. Sometimes it's hard. The plate basically is
a very simple visual that reminds you of what that balanced meal consists
of," said Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The plate looks like a circle graph. One half represents
vegetables or fruit, the other protein, and grains, with a small side of
dairy outside of the plate. My Plate will
also be integrated into the school lunch programs, so children will have a
better understanding of why certain foods are healthier for them. |
