The Top 5 Food Stories of 2011 (Page 2)

1. The USDA’s Food Pyramid Turned Into MyPlate

After years of helping us make healthy eating decisions with its famous Food Pyramid, the USDA changed its favored icon of healthy eating in June to… (drumroll please) a dinner plate. Intended to help Americans visualize the right balance of fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and dairy, the new design did away with the counting of servings that was central to their old model—will future generations even know what it means to “get your 5 a day” of vegetables? Though the emphasis on balance is a fantastic step in the right direction, the USDA’s icon certainly had some holes in it. Get the inside scoop on MyPlate’s pros and cons from our Nutrition Editor.

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