The first lady, Michelle Obama,  on Thursday relegated the government’s well-known food pyramid to the  sands of history, unveiling a new, simpler image of a plate divided into  basic food groups.

The new design, called MyPlate, was conceived as a crucial part of Mrs. Obama’s campaign against obesity, by reminding consumers about the basics of a healthy diet.

The plate is split into four sections, for fruit, vegetables, grains and  protein. A smaller circle sits beside it for dairy.

www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/business/03pl...

I rather like the new design. It's a lot clearer and easier to understand than the old pyramid and, with obesity a problem in both our countries, a high-profile drive for better diet should be a welcome idea. My one problem is that quite a lot of foods fit into more than one category (for example, some vegatables are also sources of protein).

I think "the plate" is a fine idea.  However the real problem is not that people don't get enough of a food group. The real problem is that they eat too much of certain food groups. 

I would like to see where people are encouraged to size up their food.  Your piece of meat for the day should be about the size of a deck of cards for example.  Your serving of rice should be about the size of your closed fist.  Tricks like that to help people eat less.  If you want to treat yourself to some ice cream the serving size is half a cup (fist again).  More than that is more than a serving.  Often people are being served portions that are in reality two and three servings large. 

That is my 2 cents.  I think the plate idea is good for parents who are putting together meals. 

Jun 2, 2011 -- 2:25PM, Ebon wrote:

I quite like that idea but then, I have really big hands :)

Well if you have big hands  then you probably have a big frame and might need a slightly bigger serving.

I find it lots easier for myself to make sure there's at least an inch on all sides between each food on my plate when I'm using a dinner plate--and no building towers of food either!

If I want the visual illusion of a full plate, I use a dessert plate. Even crammed full, that size plate is enough smaller than a dinner plate that I'm eating a lot less.

I agree that a plate-chart makes visualizing what constitutes a balanced meal much easier. I never could readily translate that pyramid into what I ought to eat at each meal.

Jun 2, 2011 -- 6:51PM, DotNotInOz wrote:

I find it lots easier for myself to make sure there's at least an inch on all sides between each food on my plate when I'm using a dinner plate--and no building towers of food either!

If I want the visual illusion of a full plate, I use a dessert plate. Even crammed full, that size plate is enough smaller than a dinner plate that I'm eating a lot less.

I agree that a plate-chart makes visualizing what constitutes a balanced meal much easier. I never could readily translate that pyramid into what I ought to eat at each meal.

I use a small salad or dessert plate as well, it helps!