Kudos to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for
putting out new dietary recommendations that, seemingly, aren’t
likely to sit well with Big Food. “Enjoy your food, but eat
less”, “Drink water instead of sugary drinks”, “Key Consumer
Message: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables”, proclaims
the new USDA dietary website. ChooseMyPlate.gov was rolled out
this week as the controversial Food Pyramid was replaced by the
Food Plate. “The plate does a better job of reflecting current
thinking about healthy diets than previous guides. Its four
sectors are unequal. Vegetables get the most space, and dairy –
a discretionary choice – is off to the side”, wrote nutrition
and public policy expert Marion Nestle in the San Francisco
Chronicle. “You are to pile half your plate with fruit and
vegetables, and a quarter with grains (half of them whole
grains). All these come from plants.” “Meat” is nowhere to be
seen. Click on the “Protein” section of the plate, however, and
you learn that this foods group