Helen Whalen Cohen

That pyramid was pretty hard to comprehend. Fortunately, the US Department of Agriculture is changing it to a dinner plate, to make it easier for us to understand how to feed ourselves.



Few nutritionists will mourn the passing of the pyramid, which, while instantly recognized by millions of American school kids, parents and consumers, was derided by nutritionists as too confusing and deeply flawed because it did not distinguish clearly between healthy foods like whole grains and fish and less healthy choices like white bread and bacon. A version of the pyramid currently appearing on cereal boxes, frozen dinners and other foods has been so streamlined and stripped of information that many people have no idea what it represents.

“It’s going to be hard not to do better than the current pyramid, which basically conveys no useful information,” said Walter C. Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Willett said he had not seen the new logo.

The tab for this project is $2 million, much of which is allocated to marketing efforts. USDA officials are hoping that seeing the plate will cue consumers to eat more vegetables at dinner, unlike the previous food pyramid, which apparently did nothing but confuse us. The USDA is planning to impart its healthy eating wisdom on the rest of us this Thursday.

Helen Whalen Cohen

Helen Whalen Cohen is Associate Editor and Community Manager at Townhall.com.