The Week & MyPlate

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Kelly

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments about my great-grandma. Just writing a bit about her has helped me cope with what’s going on and process everything.

I’m in Buffalo, where my family is plentiful but the internet is not, so hopefully this post scheduling works!

Last week’s running went fairly well.

  • Monday: 7.6 miles easy through downtown Napa
  • Tuesday: 8.8 miles easy in San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Wednesday: XT: 40 minutes spinning, 30 minutes elliptical, core work, PT and lifting
  • Thursday: 7.25 miles steady state
  • Friday: XT: 40 minutes spinning, 25 minutes elliptical, core work, PT and lifting
  • Saturday: 14 miles easy
  • Sunday: 6 miles very easy
Total: 43.65 miles

Most of my runs were easy (including the run in Napa and my epic Golden Gate Bridge run) and my legs have felt ok.

This Saturday is the New York Mini 10K, which is one of the first women-only road races in the U.S. I’ve run it twice before and it’s a great race, but I’m a bit nervous about how I’m going to do. I haven’t had a good tempo run since the Healthy Kidney 10K, and the weather forecast is looking downright gnarly towards the end of the week (like 95 degrees and humid gnarly, ugh!).

I haven’t really thought much about goals for this race because of these factors (although I would obviously love to PR), so as of right now I just want to have fun. That shouldn’t be too hard :)

This past week, the USDA unveiled MyPlate, which replaced the food pyramid that was used to help people learn what foods to eat and how much.

Michelle Obama announced this new design and tool, which I think was a great move. She has helped increase attention on childhood nutrition and nutrition in general, and is using her passion for these topics to help this country take bigs steps in the fight against obesity.

So what do I think of MyPlate? I like it. Let’s compare it to the previous design, MyPyramid.

I think it’s much easier to understand just by looking at it, especially for the majority of Americans without nutrition backgrounds. MyPyramid was a bit more confusing, and it took more time to “get it” than I think most people were willing to put in.

I do think a few things are missing from MyPlate:

  • Proteins: from looking at the design, it isn’t really clear what is meant by “protein,” and I think a lot of people may assume it just means lean meats. But this section also includes beans, peas, soy products like tofu, nuts and nut butters and eggs. The MyPlate website goes into more detail on these proteins, but for those that just look at the simple visual it may be a little confusing.
  • Fats: I’ve been through a lot of the MyPlate website, and I don’t think enough is said about healthy fats found in fish, nuts, avocados and some oils (like olive oil). I think it’s important for people to understand that some fats (the mono and polyunsaturated kind in these foods) are good, and can help reduce inflammation and cardiovascular risk, among other things.
  • Foods to reduce: The MyPlate website suggests the following:

I think my beef with suggestions like this is that people with no nutrition knowledge don’t know what “lower numbers” of sodium are – 100 mg? 1,000 mg? 10,000 mg? I get the idea is to provide short, quick tips, but using examples can go a long way. The same for “sugary drinks,” which not only include sodas, but fruit juices and things like Gatorade.

Criticisms are important for initiatives like these, and even though I think MyPlate can be improved, I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction and a good tool. I really like how it incorporates the importance of portion size and the amount of fruits and veggies we should eat in one clean design.

Here are some of my recent eats, which I think are pretty decent examples of MyPlate-friendly meals.

Sprouted grain toast with natural peanut butter and fresh strawberries

Steamed vegetables (asparagus, spinach, bell pepper, broccoli), avocado, corn and egg

Greek yogurt, strawberries and walnuts

Baked cod, tomatoes, broccoli, arugula, peaches and corn with whole grain tortillas

Carrot cake…

Heh, ok, this one may not exactly be a great example, but a treat every now and then is important!

Question: What do you think of the new MyPlate?

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  • http://Runforfun-Stephanie.blogspot.com Stephanie

    Yum, those meals look awesome. The granola looks great. I like the update but still hope people understand everyone I’d different and has different needs…

  • http://www.gotracygo.com Tracy

    Sorry again about your great-grandma :(

    I know what you’re saying about healthy fats, but coming from a family with many obese relatives, you can’t tell them that healthy fats are okay and expect the message to come across clearly. As soon as you say “avocados have good fat in them,” that gives permission to eat guacamole and tortilla chips in huge quantities, you know? I think the people who are truly striving to be healthy will follow-up, and the people who need nutritional guidance the most probably get enough fat in their diets.

    • http://mealsformiles.wordpress.com mealsformiles

      this is a good point. I think the people that need nutritional guidance get enough fat, but not the right kinds. They key is educating about the difference, but I totally get what you’re saying – changing the way people think about food is one of the hardest things to do!

  • http://runlindsrun.wordpress.com runlindsrun

    I’m so sorry to hear about your great grandma, Kelly! Happy you can spend time with your family :)

    And I’m also hoping the temps cool down a bit by the Mini 10K this weekend!

    I like the new MyPlate better than the pyramid, but like you feel there are still pros and cons and people need educating. I like that the visual is at least more like a plate to reinforce the servings, though do think there should be a place for healthy fats in moderation.

  • http://www.insightfulappetite.com sofia

    glad you are home with the fam during this time. :) as for the my plate, i agree with tracy about their needing to be some greater detail about these healthy fats, and how to eat them. but on a certain level, you kinda just hope people are intuitive enough to figure it out themselves… but yeah. that’s the nutrition-conscious-new-yorker in me speaking, so i guess i’m a bit off in my assessment.

    uhhh, get me some of that carrot cake, please!

  • http://balancingme.wordpress.com Grace @ Balancing Me

    I think those are GREAT examples of balanced meals (even the carrot cake, seriously .. maybe just paired with a healthy meal beforehand). I like your criticisms of My Plate and completely agree.

    I will be at the Women’s Mini this weekend, too! Have fun out there!

    • http://mealsformiles.wordpress.com mealsformiles

      good luck to you this weekend! :)

  • http://runnerscookie.com Corey @ The Runner’s Cookie

    I’m so glad you’re able to spend this time with family, Kelly. And you seem to be getting some great running in! Can’t wait to hear how the 10k goes – if it’s really hot, I think your “just have fun” plan is a great one :)
    I agree with your comments on My Plate – overall an improvement, but some things they definitely could have done better.
    Your meals all look wonderful (especially the carrot cake!)

  • http://naturallycassie.wordpress.com naturallycassie

    I am happy you are with your family right now, and best of luck with your 10k this weekend!

    I totally agree with you on my plate. It is a great step, but there is definitely room for improvement. Especially when it comes to sodium guidelines, and healthy food suggestions.

    Your plates look delicious!! All of my favorites =]

  • http://runrepeat.blogspot.com Rebecca

    so sorry to hear about your great grandma, hope you are doing ok.

    personally, I’m not a huge fan of My Plate. It’s definitely better than My Pyramid, but I liked the old pyramid with # serving suggestions. I do like the idea of showing how your plate should be divided up, but it doesn’t help me for breakfast when I rarely eat vegetables, and that probably throws off the balance for the rest of my meals. I’m guessing that’s why most articles I’ve read recommend half the plate of vegetables for dinner. Anyway, I think it’s confusing.

    • http://www.runnerskitchen.com Megan (The Runner’s Kitchen)

      Rebecca – good point about breakfast and not eating vegetables…i think the plate idea is a good example for lunch and dinner, but not so much for breakfast and snacks.

      Kelly – your eats look great – that peanut butter toast, omg. love crunch pb!

    • http://mealsformiles.wordpress.com mealsformiles

      this is a great point – I think a lot of people are confused and take MyPlate too literally. I don’t think it is meant to be representative for each meal, but just outline how your diet should look on a daily basis.The plate design helps people see proportion of different foods, but it’s not meant to be how your plate should look at every meal.

  • http://meggiesmith.blogspot.com Meggie

    Sorry to hear about your great grandmother.

    43 miles – wow! that’s the most I’ve ever done! You should rock NYC.

    I’m running the mini, too. Not so sure how its going to go bc I have just been doing “social running” since my last marathon (May 1). I kind of wanted to do this until the end of June so I won’t burn out when training for NYC. My PR is 49:52…not sure if I’m gonna be able to better that! Hoping it won’t be deathly hot!!!

    Good luck to you Sat!

    • http://mealsformiles.wordpress.com mealsformiles

      good luck to you too, Meggie!

  • http://www.healthontherun.net Lauren

    I think you make some great points about MyPlate! I completely agree about the healthy fats issue. I know Americans in general probably eat too much, but I really think the importance of healthy fat in a diet really should be more stressed.

    And in terms of “sugary drinks” – I agree that the term is really vague. But that’s actually the “official” term the government is using right now (or “sugar drinks”). Surprisingly, though, there hasn’t been any research at the federal level into what term is the most meaningful to people! We’ve done focus groups at work around it and there is a ton of confusion about what that term even means…just like you said. People assume it just refers to soda, but as you mentioned, it’s anything that has added sugar – like gatorade and juice drinks like Capri Sun, etc. Another interesting thing is that parents say they won’t give their kids soda in the afternoon because it has so much sugar and they don’t want them to be hyper, but they give them lots of other sugary drinks instead. It’s like there’s a huge disconnect there. But anyway (sorry for the long tangent!)… there is a huge push at the national level to reduce consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, and I guess overall, I’m glad they at least mention it.

    • http://mealsformiles.wordpress.com mealsformiles

      I’m glad they mention it too! I feel like they may finally be getting somewhere at the national level (fingers crossed)!

  • http://whatkateiscooking.com Kate (What Kate is Cooking)

    I think the protein part would be confusing to a lot of people- honestly, until I started learning more about nutrition, I would have no idea what constituted a protein!

  • http://sometimeshealthylivingblog.com The Sometimes Healthy Girl

    I’m so sorry to hear about your great-grandma! Glad you’re able to spend some time with your family right now.

    It’s soooo funny because I have been planning on writing about MyPlate all week. But of course, I want to dedicate some thought into the post, as it’s obvious you did, so I haven’t done it yet. I’ll definitely link to you when I finally do :-)

    Overall, my feelings are that this is a great great improvement. I’m just very happy to see nutrition thrust into the general public front and center. As “healthy living” people, I think we take our knowledge of health and fitness for granted. So many people out there don’t know all of the things that are so intuitive to us. I’ve had people actually ask me if chicken is healthy before. Lean grilled chicken. To people like us, this is sort of a silly question but to other’s it’s not. MyPlate is an important step in the right direction of ensuring all Americans have a baseline knowledge of healthy eating. I give it two thumps up!

  • http://yourdailygrace.wordpress.com yourdailygrace

    I think it is alright…someone else put up a picture on an example meal found on the my plate website and it looked gross! It was like canned green beans, something that looked like spam, etc…

  • http://objectsevents.wordpress.com Lacey

    i think the MOST helpful thing that has ever been given to me nutritionally is using exchanges (serving sizes= 1 grain, 1 protein, 1 fat, 1 veg, 1 fruit). i follow a meal plan that is balanced in terms of exchanges. the fact that My Plate doesn’t articulate “fat” is a real failing. otherwise i do like it a lot. i think an obvious improvement would be lists of what is 1 protein, what is 1 grain, etc. it makes it easy to assemble meals when you know that.

  • http://nyc-runner.blogspot.com Rach @ Girl on the Run

    Sorry to hear about your great grandma. Sounds like you got some great mileage in…hopefully running is helping you process and digest everything.

    i don’t think the plate is perfect, but i do think it’s an improvement over the food pyramid. and anything that helps get the country on the right track, gets approval from me!

  • http://www.susanruns.com Susan – Nurse on the Run

    I hope your great grandma (and family!) are doing okay!

    The 10k is going to be sweltering, I think……gah!

    I think My Plate is a great step in the right direction. Yes, it has some flaws, but it’s definitely a much better educational tool than the pyramid was. People can actually visualize what they’re supposed to be eating…..they just need a little more guidance!

  • http://foodtorunfor.blogspot.com/ Lizzy

    Hope to meet you this weekend! If it makes you feel better… I haven’t run over 5 miles since the Boston Marathon so I’m not sure how I’m going to do Saturday but I’ll give it a go! I’m sure you are going to do awesome!

  • http://www.runningaroundnormal.com Paige is Running Around Normal

    Sorry about your grandpa:( I’m sure being with family is helpful…

    I agree with you about the vagueness of the new plate!