myplate

Why Farmers Should Listen to First Lady Michelle Obama
Jeff Gangemi May 25, 2012 MyPlate 0 comments
A great new infographic from the Union of Concerned Scientists does an absolutely incredible job of showing the discrepancy between the typical American diet and the one recommended by the USDA. It also shows how subsidies to producers of the Big Five commodity crops (wheat, corn, soy, rice, and cotton) prevent U.S. farmers from planting the fruits and vegetables we need to be healthy.  The investment required to make this vital change is puny ($90 million) compared to the subsidies awarded to the producers mentioned above (over $5 billion), and the benefits to local economies could be significant. Here’s the infographic (read on below it for more from the Union of Concerned Scientists...
MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid
Chrissy Pearson Jun 06, 2011 MyPlate 0 comments
Last week First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced that the food pyramid—the visual guideline that has influenced the eating habits of adults and children nationwide since 1992— will be replaced by a new visual icon called MyPlate. A press release issued by the USDA explains the reasons for the change.  “MyPlate will replace the MyPyramid image as the government's primary food group symbol as an easy-to-understand visual cue to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about...