Do you remember the Food Guide Pyramid from grade school? The illustration conveyed in a flash what the USDA said were the elements of a healthy diet, unfortunately it didn’t point the way to healthy eating. The information was based on questionable scientific evidence, and it barely changed over the years to reflect our understanding of the connection between diet and health.
More recently, the USDA revealed the My Plate Planner as an alternative to the pyramid, although faculty members at the Harvard School of Public Health created their slightly more simplified and actionable version, the Healthy Eating Plate. Nutrition advice has since been assembled in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to “provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases,” according to the USDA.
What Should You Really Eat in the 21st Century
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (most recent version) is aimed at helping the average person choose a balanced and healthy diet.
Move to a plant-based diet.
The guidelines emphasize eating more plant-based foods, such as vegetables and beans, whole grains, and nuts.
Choose fish twice a week.
American are encouraged to eat more seafood in place of red meat or poultry, acknowledging its special benefits for the heart.
Not all proteins are equally healthy.
Protein-rich foods, such as meat, poultry, and eggs, are high in so-called “solid fats” the saturated and trans fats that Americans need to cut back on – and recommend replacing them with fish and nuts, or choosing leaner forms of protein.
Snap Shots 