News Taffy

I am pleased that the government finally changed the old food pyramid guidelines. Those guidelines were confusing and left a lot of room for interpretation. I am always frustrated that school lunches include too much sugar and fat in the flavored milk and desserts they serve. The excuse was that it was on the government’s food pyramid and schools were duty bound to follow it.

The new myplate is easy to interpret and focuses on eating more fruits and vegetables, not sugars and fats. If you actually go to the website, you will find other helpful information such as suggested menus. The website also offers the following suggestions:

*Eat less but enjoy your food.
*Avoid large portions.
*Fruits and vegetables should fill half your plate.
*Drink fat free or 1% milk.
*At least half your grains should be whole grains.
*Choose low sodium foods.
*Drink water and avoid sugary drinks.

I can’t wait to see if the schools make changes in their breakfast and lunch menus based on the new guidelines. I support our public schools but I feel they contribute to the obesity problem in children with the food that is served. Lest I make someone angry, I do understand the challenges of feeding school children on a limited budget and that food prices have risen dramatically. Still a few simple changes such as eliminating flavored milk and desserts would help.

Don’t think that the guideline can’t help you at home! When was the last time your meal resembled that plate? Do you eat whole grains? By that, I mean 100% whole wheat, not processed white bread or that label designed to fool the public, multigrain. Does the meat in your meal cover half the plate or more? Are there any vegetables on your plate?

It doesn’t have to be hard to produce that plate. Seriously, add a banana or half an apple to your plate and you’ve got that covered. Pull out a slice of whole wheat bread and that section is done. Microwave a bag of frozen green peas or broccoli and the vegetable section complete. If you grilled a chicken breast or baked some fish, you can sit down and eat in no time. If milk isn’t your thing, drink plain tea or water.

I hope you’ll use the new guideline and better yet, teach it to your children. The next two weeks, I will feature some of my favorite fast recipes to get you out of the kitchen in no time. Couple of TV shows to watch if you need inspiration: Jamie Oliver is back on Friday nights and Extreme Makeover, Weight Loss Edition is on Monday nights. These shows will have you memorizing the myplate picture.

Until next week,
Lisa