Goodbye Food pyramid

 The pursuit of good nutrition has become a whole lot simpler. Recently the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced the MyPyramid food guidance system with MyPlate as the official model for healthy dietary choices. The recommendations for what should be on your plate haven't changed, but a shift in emphasis and a new illustration promise to make the guidelines easier to visualize, follow and remember.

The USDA offers the following recommendations to "build your plate": 

• Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.
• The other half should be divided between grains and proteins. At least half of your grains should be whole grains.
• Proteins should come from a variety of sources. For instance, choose seafood twice a week, replace meat with beans some days and go for small portions of lean meat and poultry.
• Switch to skim or 1 percent milk and other low-fat dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Reduce your salt intake by checking food labels and choosing foods with the lowest sodium. Aim for less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily.
• Avoid foods and beverages containing added sugar. Drink water and choose fruit for dessert.
• Save foods high in saturated fats or solid fats, such as cakes, pizza and hot dogs, as an occasional treat.