Food Plate In. Pyramids Out.

I remember learning the food pyramid in school as a child. I'm afraid I don't remember the food pyramid itself, though. Fortunately, the name gives away the shape of the object, so I could probably do a nice job of recreating the outline of the image, although my guesses at daily portion amounts and sizes would probably be embarassingly wrong.

Since memorizing the numbers of the food pyramid were widely recognized as an ineffective tool, the government has unveiled a new numberless reminder of how to eat well. It's the "My Plate". The name of it is actually brilliantly evocative of the "My Space" generation. The icon itself has a shiny next-gen brightness that ought to appeal to children.

Whether it helps us eat better or not is a difficult question. We all know that we're supposed to drink water and that fresh fruits and veggies are good for us. Yet most of us continue to eat a diet of processed foods and sugary drinks. Is it important whether or not we remember that "grains" goes in the orange box, and that the orange box goes in the upper right hand corner of the plate? Not really.

What is important, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For more information on the latest push in healthy nutrition, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.