http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/06/02/136884100/new-symbol-for-healthful-eating-hello-plate-goodbye-pyramid
It’s a pretty safe bet that not many people will mourn the demise of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid — the 20-year-old symbol of the department’s dietary guidelines — when it’s officially retired Thursday.
Just about everyone agrees the pyramid was complicated, and tried to get too many messages across at once — more dairy, less sweets, exercise, portion control, etc.
But the new symbol is simple — a plate divided into portions. And that’s a good thing, said first lady Michelle Obama at a news conference on the subject.
“Parents don’t have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of chicken or to look up how much rice or broccoli is in a serving,” she said.