Goodbye Food Pyramid, Hello Dinner Plate
By WILLIAM NEUMAN
Published: May 27, 2011
Whatever you do, don’t call it a pie chart.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
The first lady, Michelle Obama, has led the push for increased exercise and healthy eating.
Officials said the current food pyramid, above, was confusing.
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The Obama administration is about to ditch the food pyramid, that symbol of healthy eating for the last two decades. In its place officials are dishing up a simple, plate-shaped symbol, sliced into wedges for the basic food groups and half-filled with fruits and vegetables.
The circular plate, which will be unveiled Thursday, is meant to give consumers a fast, easily grasped reminder of the basics of a healthy diet. It consists of four colored sections, for fruits, vegetables, grains and protein, according to several people who have been briefed on the change. Beside the plate is a smaller circle for dairy, suggesting a glass of low-fat milk or perhaps a yogurt cup.
Few nutritionists will mourn the passing of the pyramid,
