Government Cheese

There's been a lot of kerfuffle on the Internet about this new redesign of the Food Pyramid.  A lot of people have their knickers in a twist over the dumbing down of the American People by switching from a triangle to a circle.  I have to disagree.  Follow me after the break for some fun and nifty government resources (read: free!) and a little free opinion thrown in on the side.











So...the biggest complaint I've heard is that this new plate is insulting, INSULTING to the American People.  Well, I hate to break it to you, the food pyramid wasn't designed for you, it was designed to teach your KIDS how to make good food choices.  And while I'm very much in love with Michael Pollan's basic rules (eat food, not too much, mostly plants) it doesn't mean that I don't see the benefit in training kids to look at their plates differently.

You know what I don't see on the plate anymore?  Candy and sweets.  That's great!  Those are special occasion foods and shouldn't show up on your plate anyway.  Oil and fats.  Wonderful!  Learn how to incorporate them into your meal and not think about them separate from the foods they come from!  Serving sizes.  Phenomenal!  Because what fits one person doesn't fit another.

This new plate should be used as a tool, not as a nutritional bible.  

The government has been doing more than just redesigning logos...
Look at all of these other wonderful tools you can use! JUST LOOK AT THEM!

From the NHLBI:
Deliciously Healthy Eating...Keep the Beat
A website devoted to heart-healthy eating!  With free cookbooks tailored to many people's situations!  You can download them for free or get actual printed copies sent to you cheaply!  Amazing!  Here are some of my favs (the following links are to the .pdf):

• General American Cookbook
• Keep the Beat -- Heart Healthy Recipes
• Family-Friendly Cookbook
• Traditional African-American Recipes
• Traditional Latino Recipes

From the USDA (in addition to the new plate thing):

• Multiple Interactive Tools!
• Track your Meals and Exercise!
• In Depth Dietary Guidelines
• Interactive Recipe Finder developed with SNAP (foodstamps) in mind
• SNAP tips on stretching a dollar
• Seasonal Nutrition Guide

There are some ideas to get you started.  Yes, the new logo is different.  Yes, it is from the government which has proved demonstrably hit-or-miss (government cheese? FEMA?).  But these are some great resources!  Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  And if you aren't watching Parks and Recreation yet, you totally should be, because that show is hilarious.  Yay for functioning government!

Credits:
choosemyplate.gov logo (public domain)