User-Friendly Graphic Emphasizes Low-Fat Vegetarian Foods, Eliminates Confusing Portion Suggestions; New Approach Could Influence Dietary Guidelines
Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes each day to keep the doctor away, say doctors and dietitians with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The nonprofit organization is running a full-page advertisement in March's Today's Dietitian urging nutrition professionals to use its new Power Plate graphic as a healthful alternative to the USDA Food Pyramid. The introduction of the Power Plate, which can be seen at www.ThePowerPlate.org, comes as the USDA is revising the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
PCRM's Power Plate is a colorful, user-friendly graphic that depicts a plate divided into four new food groups: fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables. PCRM nutrition experts researched Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization reports and concluded that plant-based foods are the most nutrient-dense and aid in preventing cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The Power Plate, unlike the Food Pyramid, has no confusing portion sizes and food hierarchies; it simply asks that people eat a variety of all four food groups each day.
"People eat from plates, not pyramids," said PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. "We need easy-to-use dietary guidance tools that teach people how to eat right to fight chronic diseases. Studies show people who eat mostly from the four Power Plate food groups have the lowest risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes."