Learn About the 'My Plate' Healthy Eating Initiative at the Bethany Farmer's Market

Since Americans have become a very 'visual' society, the United States Department of Agriculture thought it would be best to change up the way it presents healthy eating to consumers. In June, the USDA revealed a new graphic called 'My Plate' that gets right to the point of how Americans should be eating: with our plates half-full with fruits and vegetables and one-quarter full with proteins and healthy grains.

Holistic Nutritionist and Dietician Michele Krilivsky will be at the Bethany Farmer's Market Saturday with easily digestible information on My Plate to help consumers understand healthy eating. 

"They changed the image from the pyramid to the plate and it coincided with the publication of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which really focuses on a plant-based diet," explains Krilivsky. "They moved the pyramid to a plate so we can visually see what we're supposed to eat. In the past, people were confused as to what the pyramid meant with how much carbohydrates and how much vegetables."

For those who don't eat meats, soy, tofu, nuts and nut butters are a healthy source of protein. Gone are the days of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and canned corn.

"Three-quarters of the meal is plant-based food and the meat is more of a condiment," she says. "The way we eat is built on tradition and what's been handed down from generation to generation."

She says My Plate is something for those with an existing condition such as heart disease to consider, but it can also be used as a preventative measure against many diseases and conditions.

The Connecticut Dietetic Association teamed up with the Connecticut chapter of the USDA and is sending dieticians such as Krilivsky to local farmer's markets this season to talk about My Plate, explain the changes from the pyramid to the plate and answer any nutrition questions people may have.

Krilivsky will have handouts about the program and also a booklet of recipes featuring local fresh vegetables for those who stop by her booth.  

About the My Plate initiative: 

In June, First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.

"This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country," said First Lady Michelle Obama during the unveiling. "When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we’re already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it’s tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is."

MyPlate is a new way of marketing healthy eating with the intent to encourage consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups. The goal of the initiative will be to support Americans in building healthy diets.

Through this initiative, the USDA is trying to deliver a series of healthy eating messages that highlight key consumer actions based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and empower people with information they need to make healthy food choices.

The new initiative won’t completely replace the MyPyramid food image. While that is useful as a teaching tool, it was perceived by many as outdated and too complicated. MyPyramid will remain available to interested health professionals and nutrition educators in a special section of the new website.

USDA has set up a new website, ChooseMyPlate.gov, with tools and resources to help consumers put the Dietary Guidelines into action by building healthy eating patterns for meal times. Additional resources will be available in the fall.