The NEW Food Pyramid?

Have you wondered where the ever-familiar Food Guide Pyramid from your elementary school days has gone? Or what this new plate symbol you’ve been seeing means? The United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate was unveiled on June 2, 2011 as the symbol of nutritional guidelines replacing the Food Guide Pyramid and is based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So how does MyPlate compare to the old Food Guide Pyramid and what does it actually mean for your daily intake?

The goal behind the new design was to more simply communicate the recommendations found in the Guidelines. The plate design is thought to be more useful to Americans in their everyday lives, a reference that can easily be compared to one’s own plate to assess whether or not the Guidelines are being adhered to. The proportions of the food groups on the plate, approximately 30 percent grains, 30 percent vegetables, 20 percent fruits and 20 percent protein, with a smaller circle representative of dairy, effectively communicate that half of one’s plate should consist of fruits and vegetables at a given meal. This ratio differs significantly from the average American’s intake and changing patterns to more closely match the MyPlate recommendations has been shown to improve a variety of health outcomes.

Critics of the plate cite its inclusion of a separate protein group and lack of mention of physical activity as problematic. While it is true that most Americans meet or exceed the daily recommendation of 15 – 20% of energy intake from protein, the group still warrants inclusion to show the proper proportion of protein in relation to the rest of the food groups. The MyPlate symbol does not include anything about physical activity, but its accompanying website, www.choosemyplate.gov, provides tips and information on becoming more active.

Overall the MyPlate icon is a more user-friendly graphic than the previous MyPyramid. However, an individual’s specific needs cannot be determined from a general recommendation such as this one. For assistance on making changes to one’s own habits, it is best to consult with a registered dietitian to develop an individualized plan. In the meantime, making sure your plate matches the MyPlate image at mealtimes is a great start to meeting your nutritional needs!


Love this article? Go to searchmycity.com to find more articles about the best ways to eat healthy, and even some great restaurants!


- Holly Pudwill, MS, RD, LD/N, CEDRD Balanced Nutrition of Jacksonville

Food Culture : Greek

Food Culture: Greek 

Greece is located in southeast Europe. Traditional Greek cuisine combines the freshest ingredients to create appetizing and healthy dishes. Some of the best dining in the world can be found in the Greek islands. Many Greek recipes have been passed down for generations since ancient times. In addition to being delicious, Greek cuisine is very colorful. You may be familiar with the Greek salad, but there are many other Greek dishes that you will love if you venture out and try. 

What You Should Know: 

• Greeks eat their main meal at lunch time. 

• Vineyards cover the majority of Greece and the country has become known for its fine wine and spirits.

• The first cookbook was written by the Greek food gourmet, Archestratus, in 330 B.C. 

• Greeks are very family-oriented. The family will eat together sharing small plates called Mezedes at the start of their meal. 

• Greeks refer to desserts as “sweets” even though they rarely eat them after a meal. Most sweets are enjoyed as snacks. 

Most Popular Dishes: 
• Dolmades: Stuffed Grape Leaves 

 • Moussaka: Potatoes topped with eggplant, onions, minced beef and béchamel sauce. 

• Souvlaki: Greek Kabob 

• Baklava: A sweet pastry made with honey and syrup with layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts. 

• Horiatiki: Greek salad 

• Tzatiki: Greek Yogurt with finely chopped cucumber, garlic and olive oil.

• Spinakopita: Spinach pie

Remember: There are even Greek restaurants available for perusing on searchmycity.com

Food Truck Bazaar on Friday, March 20th

We have all spent the time searching for fun and unique date nights. We've tried picnics, and blanket forts, and even making dinner together. As fun, and wacky, as any of these might be, you're probably starting to run out of ideas. 

Well, I think that the Food Truck Bazaar is the PERFECT option. You can get your grub on with one of the food trucks - and yes, this means you don't have to eat the same kind of food as your significant other - and you can enjoy a nice night in the Orlando area. 

A lot of the time, there are even certain things that happen after the bazaar that are fun. In Kissimmee, they usually have a movie set up to play on a projection screen at the lakefront. That's pretty romantic, right? If not, it's super fun.

Check out this Friday, in St. Cloud (I know it's a little out in the middle of nowhere, but it's worth the trek). You'll find a whole host of food trucks, and a whole lot of opportunities for fun. 

These are the food trucks coming:

The Pastrami Project
Monsta Lobsta
Caketeer
Caro-Bama BBQ
Tastebuds-Catering Food Truck
Los Pueblos Latin Quarter Inc
It's All Greek to Me
Cafe Rouge Express
Fork In The Road

Sounds delicious, right! 

Check it out: 5-8 pm. 1221 12th Street in Saint Cloud, Florida!