For most of our lives, we looked to the Food Pyramid
("MyPyramid") to show us how many servings we need every day
from each of the food groups. However, times are changing and so
are the shapes we use to understand how much food we should be
eating. Pyramids are out, and round plates are in. Many
nutritionists felt MyPyramid was too confusing for people. This
past June, the United States Department of Agriculture announced
a new symbol to help people learn to eat healthy. To help make
MyPlate a little easier to understand, we figured we’d break it
down for you here. The new MyPlate shows a placemat with a plate
divided into different sections for protein, grains, fruits, and
vegetables. The small circle off to the side is for dairy, and
the shape is not an accident. They’re hoping that you get the
hint that milk and yogurt are better choices for dairy than
cheese, as long as they are fat-free or low-fat. You’ll notice
there’s no longer a section for “oils”. We noticed, too. Most
people consume the fat they ne