Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

More healthy eating tips to add to the USDA food plate

James Haddad
Conditions
June 13, 2011
41 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

The USDA has recently released it’s new concept, the food plate, to replace the iconic food pyramid it introduced in 1992 (and modified in 2005).

At its release, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack criticized the food pyramid for being “too complex to serve as a quick and easy guide for American families” – I completely agree, and have always felt this way.  The food pyramid was the kind of thing you could completely forget after browsing – that, or leave with the message “eat lots of carbohydrates” (a terrible recommendation for most, in my eyes) – far from ideal.

Michelle Obama asked, “What’s more simple than a plate? I’m confident that families … can start using this today.“  Without a doubt, the visual cue of a plate is far more useful than the old pyramid – people can now use the USDA guidelines as they prepare meals, whereas before they were essentially given seemingly arbitrary goals to meet each day (which were not only quickly forgotten, but difficult to keep track of).

In my opinion, there are still problems with some of USDA’s suggestions, but there may never be consensus on such matters.  I also take issue with the fact that the only advice I can find on portion control is “Avoid oversized portions.”

I submit to you the “Tip of the Day” I found when I visited the MyPlate website while drafting this article:

Consider convenience when shopping. Buy pre-cut packages of fruit (such as melon or pineapple chunks) for a healthy snack in seconds.

I would actually argue the contrary – convenience should be avoided when shopping, as seeking it will usually pull you away from unadulterated, healthy choices, and towards commercialized, overpriced junk.  The above tip may be fine for a family with superfluous income, but items like pre-cut fruit and 100-calorie packs are usually overpriced and are just not what most families should be buying.  Eating healthy does take a bit of work, and we shouldn’t shy away from that (portion control, in particular, is an area where we would be wise to avoid having food corporations make decisions for us).

The above considered, I thought this would be a good time to share some of my own tips for healthy eating.  These are my bare-bones recommendations:

  • No soda/pop, juice drinks, sports drinks, or fruit juices. This is #1 because I firmly believe it’s the best thing Americans can do for their health:  stop drinking your calories!  Drink water, milk, unsweetened tea or coffee, and eat fresh fruit instead of drinking juice (which is in most cases just as bad as soda).  I also believe we should be avoiding artificially-sweetened beverages, but this will be reserved for a future article (baby steps).
  • Eat more fiber. Since before I even began my formal medical education, when people would ask me the one thing they could do to improve their diet, my answer was always fiber.  Fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and help with weight loss and bowel health.  Research on fiber and colon cancer has been thus far equivocal, but I strongly suspect a protective effect will be revealed in the future.
  • Eat protein at every meal. Like fiber, protein will help you feel satisfied after a meal (so will fat, as it slows the rate at which your stomach empties!).  Protein does not necessarily have to come from meat or eggs – beans, nuts, certain grains, and dairy are great sources of protein for those who avoid meat.  As a bonus, protein is more energetically costly to digest, giving it a higher Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).
  • Use only natural fats & oils. Information about hydrogenated oils being linked to poor heart health has been well-disseminated, but they have also been linked to other health conditions including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression – we would do well to avoid them whenever we can.  Use real butter, olive oil, sesame oil, etc. and eat natural fatty foods (real peanut butter, plain dark chocolate, avocados, etc.).  One of my biggest pet peeves is low-fat peanut butter:  natural peanut butter (or better, almond butter) can be a good source of healthy fats, while reduced fat peanut butter is a good source of nothing (it’s processing essentially removes its health benefits and replaces them with fillers and sugar).

Don’t mistake the critical eye of the above paragraphs as disapproval – I think this overhaul is a step in the right direction and was long overdue.  Time will tell if American families will respond better to this educational tool than its predecessors.

James Haddad is a medical student who blogs at Abnormal Facies.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

The last exam of a first year medical student

June 13, 2011 Kevin 3
…
Next

Social media ROI for one practicing physician

June 13, 2011 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Patients

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The last exam of a first year medical student
Next Post >
Social media ROI for one practicing physician

More by James Haddad

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Is measuring Body Mass Index (BMI) obsolete?

    James Haddad
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Will a shift to longitudinal experiences improve medical education?

    James Haddad
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Bearing the burden of the uphill battle against childhood obesity

    James Haddad

More in Conditions

  • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

    Greg Smith, MD
  • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

    Kevin Jones, MD
  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Revaluating mental health assessments: It’s not just the patient you should consider

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 7 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Senators Press HHS Chief on Alzheimer's Drugs, Opioids at Budget Hearing
  • Despite Abortion Restrictions, Ob/Gyn Remains Competitive Residency
  • Cholera Outbreak Widens; What Beethoven's DNA Revealed; Grindr's Free HIV Tests
  • FDA Panel Supports Tofersen for Rare Genetic ALS
  • Pregnant, Black? Here's Your Drug Test

Meeting Coverage

  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Second-Line Sacituzumab Govitecan Promising in Platinum-Ineligible UC
  • Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor Hits Its Endpoint in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Durable Vitiligo Responses With Topical Ruxolitinib
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

More healthy eating tips to add to the USDA food plate
7 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...