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Variations on USDA’s MyPlate

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USDA MyPlate

Harvard scientists were not pleased with the government switch from the Food Pyramid to MyPlate earlier this year. Although MyPlate was lauded by experts as an improvement over the pyramid – it greatly simplified food choices – they believed it was oversimplifying nutrition. Additionally, MyPlate is smudged with the fingerprints of agro-corporate interests, according to Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health.

Before you is Harvard’s attempt at a cleaner plate. One that puts aside corporate interests and does not oversimplify the message. Here is the Healthy Eating Plate:

 The main points:

  • Mover veggies thans fruits. Makes sense, there is less sugar in vegetables. An important carveout – potatoes. They should not be considered in the veggie department because they raise blood sugar just like refined sugars and sweets. (The potato board will dispute this).
  • Not just any protein is good. You should choose the healthier proteins from fish, poultry, beans and nuts. Beef should be limited (Oy vey, the Cattlemen lobby will say).
  • Choose whole grains, not just grains. This is hard for many of us as we have gotten used to refined flours and white rice which are much easier to chew and prepare than brown rice and whole grain breads.
  • Dairy is not a must at every meal. Drink water most of the time and limit dairy to 1-2 servings per day instead of 3 in MyPlate. This is sure to annoy the National Dairy Council.
  • Oils (liquid fats) are not evil if they come from plant sources like olive oil or canola. Butter should be limited (Dairy council again).
What do you think of the Harvard plate?
Will people better relate to it? Or is it only for the elites?
In any case, below the fold is a much simpler suggestion that we very much enjoyed :-)

"Real Food" Plate (Adam Fields)

 

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  • Lauri (www.redheadrecipes.com)

    I Like the Harvard plate and plan to print some off to use for patient educations (I am a Registered Dietitian). I think having a (good) visual is the best way to help someone learn, especially since we get so many patients with Low Lit levels. Thanks for the comparison!

  • Greencolander

    Great article! I’ve been learning about healthy eating over the past year and a half and think the Harvard plate is excellent. Thank you for sharing!
    PS – In the sentence “…are much easier to chew and prepare then brown rice…” the “then” should be “than”. :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511171567 Austin Danger Wiegand

    I’m surprised they suggest canola oil right along with olive oil. Did Harvard drop the ball on Canadian Rape Oil or is all the bad press bull? Cause there’s plenty of bad press on canola.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511171567 Austin Danger Wiegand

    I’m surprised they suggest canola oil right along with olive oil. Did Harvard drop the ball on Canadian Rape Oil or is all the bad press bull? Cause there’s plenty of bad press on canola.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Marylou-Hansen/643210812 Marylou Hansen

    I love the Harvard plate!!!! makes a LOT more sense!! the Choose Real Food plate made me chuckle!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Marylou-Hansen/643210812 Marylou Hansen

    Harvard’s food place makes perfect sense! Luv the Choose Real Food plate ~ gave me a good chuckle!!!

  • Jason

    I’m not big on Canola either. Olive oil is king. 

    I’m high on dairy/butter in moderation as long as it’s made right (grass-fed, no unnecessary additives). I wouldn’t poo-poo lean cuts of red meat either (no hormones, no antibiotics, no gmo feed, etc.). 

    Seeds/nuts should be treated as healthy fats, not protein.

    • Mheath62

      Olive oil is best eaten only slightly heated. It oxidizes at high temperatures. You are best to cook with coconut oil, animal fats, or butter for high heat preparations.

      • Elizabeth Schandelmeier Gilgun

        Regular olive oil (rather than virgin or extra virgin) has a higher smoke point and can be heated. I agree, though, about coconut and animal fats. Regular butter burns pretty quickly, but clarified butter/ghee is excellent for cooking. (mmmmm, butter…)

  • Jan B

    My personal plate has no space at all for grains. I’m a diabetic (T2) who successfully controls my blood sugar through diet alone. Most of my carbs come from green vegetables, with a piece of fruit for a treat. If the only way you could buy grain was unprocessed – ie a sack of barley – referring to “whole” grains might make sense. But there are many products now called “whole” grain that only have a few chips of grain along with the white flour and corn syrup.

    • Karyn

      I think they are referring to REAL whole grains, minimally processed, not to the “Made With WHOLE GRAIN!!11!!!” marketing gimmick on otherwise quite processed and adulterated “foods.” ;-)

  • Tpescdoc

    I’ll eat what Jason is having. 

  • Jim Cooper

    I think you need to spend more time proofreading.
    But your points are well taken.

  • http://shannonsdiet.com Shannonsdiet.com

    I think it’s hard to say that “this plate is a good balance for everyone.”  Different people have different needs nutritionally, so there is no good one size fits all plan.  That said, I think that rancid canola oil should be avoided, and good fats, even if they are saturated such as coconut oil should be praised. 

    • Jim Cooper

      Are you saying most canola oil is rancid? 
      I hardly think so!
      And the American heart Association certainly disagrees with you about coconut oil.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3KCP7FQGHZS3N2DEKMQXSL5GRU J

        Just because the American Heart Association disagrees doesn’t make it unhealthy. The AHA probably wants Statin drugs in the public water supply but that doesn’t make it right/healthy.

      • MHeath62

        It is rancid when it is heated to high temperatures. Rancid means oxidation. Oxidation means free radicals. Fatty acids like animal fats and coconut oil do not oxidize at high temperatures because all of their carbon atoms form saturated bonds w/hydrogen (in other words… they are stable). It’s more healthy to cook w/fats that won’t oxidize. You really should do your homework…

        • Jim Cooper

          Rancid means ALREADY oxidized. Saturated fats have all carbon-CARBON single bonds. It has nothing to do with carbon-hydrogen bonds. I would expect that it takes less heat energy to break a single bond than a double bond, so on that basis your saturated fats would be worse. And in general, this is why most health professionals recommend unsaturated fats.

    • Elizabeth Schandelmeier Gilgun

      Any rancid oil should be avoided, but canola is GMO (which some consider to be worse…).

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  • Jill Richardson

    I think the plant fats over animal fats idea is flawed. I go for omega-3 over omega-6 when choosing my fats. That means flax, organic canola, and olive oil are in and safflower, sunflower, and corn oils are out. I eat almond butter instead of peanut butter. And my eggs and dairy come from animals raised on pasture.

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