Maybe I should just go back to the old food pyramid..? (half-joking..;-) )

MSH2930

It just seems the media and other news outlets and whatnot make us crazy with weight loss gimmicks and suddenly what works and what doesn't. I remember back in the 80's bagels were kind of popular among those 'watching' what they ate and 'dieting' and then the anti-carb notion basically deemed bagels horrendous. I remember a trainer at the gym I used to go to back then, she opened her gym bag and had like 3 or 4 bagels in her bag. Sure as heck would not see that today!! But it is just funny how 'trends' are....

At any rate, I do think just eating a more balanced diet and not totally eliminating something but everything in moderation and not so much processed stuff but more of what comes from nature (ie, proteins and fruits and veggies) are what makes sense..it is almost like maybe it is time to just go back to the old food pyramid..? Half-kidding..but maybe so..? It's as if we've gotten overloaded on fads and trends and 'diets' that it is no wonder our bodies are suffering for it..

Anyway, just kind of my 'food for thought' for the day...no pun intended!

Francl27

The only issue I'd have with the old food pyramid is that I'd probably be starving with all the grains. Don't get me wrong, I like carbs and eat plenty of them... but 6-11 servings is just insane.

MSH2930

^^That is definitely true!

wanzik

Francl27 wrote: »

The only issue I'd have with the old food pyramid is that I'd probably be starving with all the grains. Don't get me wrong, I like carbs and eat plenty of them... but 6-11 servings is just insane.

The Food Pyramid was updated in 2005. 6-11 servings of grains is ridiculous and that's why they changed it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_pyramid_(nutrition)

Need2Exerc1se

I really think Michael Pollan has the best advice with "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants".

Simple, easy to follow, correct.

piersonj

Actually I think the biggest problem with the old food pyramid is that it didn't show what a serving size was. If I remember correctly an average size bagel was considered 4 servings of grains and one or two servings of oils. A medium sized Apple was two servings of fruit.

Francl27

wanzik wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

The only issue I'd have with the old food pyramid is that I'd probably be starving with all the grains. Don't get me wrong, I like carbs and eat plenty of them... but 6-11 servings is just insane.

The Food Pyramid was updated in 2005. 6-11 servings of grains is ridiculous and that's why they changed it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_pyramid_(nutrition)

Well OP did say 'old food pyramid', lol. Still, the new one says 6 servings too and I just can't do that.

tulips_and_tea

piersonj wrote: »

Actually I think the biggest problem with the old food pyramid is that it didn't show what a serving size was. If I remember correctly an average size bagel was considered 4 servings of grains and one or two servings of oils. A medium sized Apple was two servings of fruit.

Exactly. I'm currently reading a book about changing habits and it also points out one of the reasons the food pyramid was not as successful as they'd hoped was because simply placing foods on top of the other instinctively makes the mind think that the food at the top is "better' than the food at the bottom when in reality it was designed that way to denote the amount of those foods to eat each day.

lemurcat12

You might find this interesting, OP: http://bigthink.com/videos/david-katz-on-what-we-know-about-diet

As for the food pyramid, I like this: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

Really, I think if you cut through the scaremongering (fat makes you fat; carbs make you fat) and faddish stuff, nutrition is pretty much common sense and what you'd probably think if forced to remember basics about balanced meals and eating your vegetables that most of us learned as kids.

grinning_chick

Yeah, but which pyramid?

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/invented-food-pyramid/

AlabasterVerve

I think more important than what we're eating is how often and much we're eating. Growing up we were expected to wait until meals to eat. There was no idea of eating all day long so you didn't get too hungry -- you were supposed to get hungry. It was normal to be hungry before meals. You also didn't leave the house with emergency food and drinks.

We're always being advised we're not getting enough of this nutrient and that nutrient which leads to people eating more as well, IMO. The amount of protein and vegetables I eat now would have fed a family of five forty years ago but today there will still be people telling me I don't eat enough of this or that -- there's always something you need to be eating more of.

It's crazy.

tulips_and_tea

grinning_chick wrote: »

Yeah, but which pyramid?

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/invented-food-pyramid/

Wow, really interesting to read the statement from the insider about the vast difference between how they originally submitted the food pyramid and how the end product turned out, and why that happened.

tulips_and_tea

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

I think more important than what we're eating is how often and much we're eating. Growing up we were expected to wait until meals to eat. There was no idea of eating all day long so you didn't get too hungry -- you were supposed to get hungry. It was normal to be hungry before meals. You also didn't leave the house with emergency food and drinks.

We're always being advised we're not getting enough of this nutrient and that nutrient which leads to people eating more as well, IMO. The amount of protein and vegetables I eat now would have fed a family of five forty years ago but today there will still be people telling me I don't eat enough of this or that -- there's always something you need to be eating more of.

It's crazy.

Completely agree. The accessibility to food now is unnecessary. We have a large furniture store here that has a Subway in it. Um, if you can't shop for furniture without "needing" to eat then there's something clearly wrong.

Dayofthebread

I am of the mind now eat what I want within my calories and make sure I eat veggies and fruit everyday. I know the trend is high protein now, but I got to a point of stressing over protein and carbs and it was totally counter intuitive for me.

wanzik

Francl27 wrote: »

wanzik wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

The only issue I'd have with the old food pyramid is that I'd probably be starving with all the grains. Don't get me wrong, I like carbs and eat plenty of them... but 6-11 servings is just insane.

The Food Pyramid was updated in 2005. 6-11 servings of grains is ridiculous and that's why they changed it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_pyramid_(nutrition)

Well OP did say 'old food pyramid', lol. Still, the new one says 6 servings too and I just can't do that.

You got me there.

EDIT: Actually, the new pyramid recommends 6 oz of grains, 3 oz of which being whole grains, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. That's not much.

MSH2930

yougotredonyou wrote: »

I am of the mind now eat what I want within my calories and make sure I eat veggies and fruit everyday. I know the trend is high protein now, but I got to a point of stressing over protein and carbs and it was totally counter intuitive for me.

Same with me. Those who can do it I am envious I guess.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

You might find this interesting, OP: http://bigthink.com/videos/david-katz-on-what-we-know-about-diet

As for the food pyramid, I like this: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

Really, I think if you cut through the scaremongering (fat makes you fat; carbs make you fat) and faddish stuff, nutrition is pretty much common sense and what you'd probably think if forced to remember basics about balanced meals and eating your vegetables that most of us learned as kids.

Thanks for the rec's!!

I guess my gist or thinking is to include all food groups and not eliminate foods all-together unless it is a health issue or allergy issue, that sort of thing. Lots of water. No sugar drinks. Cut back the sugar and salt. That kind of thing. By referring to the 'old food pyramid' my point was to not omit foods and everything in moderation. The food pyramid did work for generations, no..? Where and why did we all begin to have these health problems in the US and so many people with weight issues..? You hear about people following x-plan and then gaining more weight in the end..so I just think a basic sensible eating plan makes more sense..

cwolfman13

If I look at my meals and snacks throughout the day, my diet looks more or less like My Plate.

I also tend to agree with @lemurcat12 ...when you take a step back, basic nutrition is largely common sense. You have to remember that the diet and fitness industry is billions of dollars...there always has to be a new fad to keep those billions coming in...the diet and fitness industry at large isn't about your health and well being, it's about $$$.

MSH2930

cwolfman13 wrote: »

If I look at my meals and snacks throughout the day, my diet looks more or less like My Plate.

I also tend to agree with @lemurcat12 ...when you take a step back, basic nutrition is largely common sense. You have to remember that the diet and fitness industry is billions of dollars...there always has to be a new fad to keep those billions coming in...the diet and fitness industry at large isn't about your health and well being, it's about $$$.

Ain't that the truth!!

tlflag1620

Just a point of fact - the food pyramid (the old one) came out in the 1990's, I believe. I'm old enough to remember its predecessor - the four basic food groups. Before that there were various "food wheels" over the years (Google 1940's food wheel - awesome stuff!). So, no, nothing really has been around for generations. Heck, up until my generation calorie counts weren't even readily available for most foods. Of course, food was simpler (there weren't 43 varieties of ketchup, heck you made your own damn ketchup), scarcer (basic ingredients were available, but there wasn't a subway inside the general store; there is a subway inside my local Walmart), and required more work (again, you made your own damn ketchup... And bread, and gravy, and soup, and many other foods that we now buy prepackaged; note - the convenience of prepackaged foods make it easier to grab and munch, even if you aren't all that hungry, not that it necessary effects calorie count). And people at three meals a day, this whole "eat before you feel hungry" crap wasn't a thing. Now we're told to eat six flipping times a day (which isn't a problem if you take very small portions at those six "meals", but can be problematic for those more accustomed to large portions). Really the last time obesity wasn't a concern was before the USDA became as heavily involved as they are. Personally I think we should largely ignore the government's dietary guidelines and just find what works for us individually.