In researching for this challenge, I have been looking into the USDA’s nutritional information. It has seemed that over the years, the food pyramid has gotten more and more confusing, so I wasn’t expecting to find easy to consume information that you can pick up and use. I was pleasantly surprised.

Last April, the USDA launched their new approach to helping us eat better: MyPlate. I had already decided I wanted to take a plate approach in defining nutrition. I’ve been to different nutritionist, dietitians, and naturopathic doctors over the years, and this is the approach they have always taken. It makes understanding how healthy you are eating easy. So the new approach of a placemat image from the USDA fits right in. What’s more, they even have the fruits and veggies sections broken out. This little change is something I had not seen before. At first glance, the new information looks good.

As I dug deeper into the information, I found it to be sound at a basic level. I wish that the USDA would guide people more towards unprocessed “real” foods, but for those with little nutritional knowledge, it is a great place to start. Additionally, it can offer some nice tidbits for those who know more about nutrition. As I said before, I prefer the guideline approach to monitoring my diet. I do not want to be counting every calorie, watching the exact carb, protein, and fat intake or otherwise micromanaging my diet. That said, I recognize that there is both a set of people who prefer this approach, and times when this is necessary. When I was pregnant with Samantha, I had gestational diabetes. I was able to avoid almost all medications t control this by exercising regularly and very closely tracking my diet. If you find yourself in a similar case, or just want to more closely track your progress, the MyPlate SuperTracker  may be just the thing for you.

All in all, I found the information and tools provided helpful in achieving a better diet. Check it out to learn more today.

Claire