A Balanced Diet: It's What Our Government Wants and What Students are Working Toward

In 2011, The USDA relinquished the Food Pyramid system and instead introduced MyPlate. What differs in MyPlate's approach is that it doesn't list specific images of foods in a particular hierarchy. Instead, it works to show the importance of balancing each food group based on the consumer's personal likes and dislikes.

Jordan Badger, a dietician at Boston University's Sargent Choice Nutrition Center, expresses that it is important to maintain balance and eat foods in moderation opposed to cutting things out.

“At SCNC, we say that all foods can fit into a healthy eating pattern. If you think about the diet set by our government and other governing bodies, including whole grains, choosing lean meats over fatty meats, watching your intake of saturated fats, those are types of categories we talk to students about how to move their diet to be healthier,” she says

Photo from ChooseMyPlate.gov