What's On Your Dinner Plate?

Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture, along with First Lady Michelle Obama, rolled out a brand new icon to help Americans be more mindful of healthy eating.

The 20-year-old food pyramid is no more, in favor of a simple and logical symbol: the dinner plate.

“This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating,” Mrs. Obama said in an article in the New York Times on Thursday. “We’re all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it’s hard to find time to sort through all this information, but we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates.”

 If the filled plate looks like the symbol, with lots of fruits and vegetables, she said, “then we’re good, it’s as simple as that.”

The plate is split into four sections, the 2 sections for fruit and vegetables making up half the plate, and grains and protein, with a smaller circle beside it for dairy.

The pyramid has been criticized for many years as confusing, and many people took issue that “grains” didn’t differentiate between whole grains and the less healthy refined grains.

“It’s a great change and something that is more easily explainable to children,” Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA Executive Director Meegan O’Neil said. “As a leading nonprofit for healthy living, the Y strives to teach good health and nutritional habits for kids and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity. The plate makes the move toward better nutritional choices, and it’s a much better visual image.”

The symbol is part of a healthy eating initiative that will convey seven key messages from the government’s dietary guidelines, including:

• enjoy food but eat less;
• avoid oversized portions;
• make half your plate fruits and vegetables;
• drink water instead of sugary drinks;
• switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk;
• compare sodium in foods;
• make at least half your grains whole grains.

One in three children and the majority of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Childhood obesity in the United States is now the number one health concern for parents, topping smoking and drug abuse, according to the American Heart Association.

Take a look at your plate tonight and see how you match up! Below are 10 signs of a healthy family home from your YMCA.

The Y: Ten Signs of a Healthy Family Home

1. Water is the beverage of choice, supplemented by 100% fruit juices and low-fat milk.
2. Fruits or vegetables are served at every meal including some fresh fruit or veggie options daily.
3. Snack time includes foods that contain whole grains and protein instead of saturated and trans fats.
4. Kids and adults are moving and playful for at least an hour per day, outside and together whenever possible.
5. Kids and adults are breaking a sweat at least three times per week for 20 minutes or more.
6. Kids are provided with frequent opportunities to play outdoors in ways that are unstructured and exploratory. Play experiences in nature take place often.
7. The family dines together at least once every day, with kids involved in meal preparation and clean-up.
8. Kids all receive daily one-on-one time with an adult.
9. Television and video game time is limited to two hours per day.
10. Kids and adults keep to a regular schedule that helps everyone get enough sleep. For the kids that means 10 - 12 hours per night, and seven - eight for the adults.

For more information, visit choosemyplate.gov or your local YMCA.