The USDA recently ditched the food pyramid in favor of a new “food plate” –

Courtesy of (taken from) cnn.com

First lady Michelle Obama is spearheading this project as part of her campaign to drive the North American Fat Kid to extinction.  She said the goal was to simplify nutritional information which is great because for the last 22 years I’ve been trying to arrange all of my meals in a pyramid shape and structurally, grains make for an awful foundation.

I do think this is a good idea, though.  Portioning your meals out to have fruit and veggies on one side, protein and grains on the other is a good, easy to remember way to balance out your diet.  I think more people should adopt the food plate philosophy –

The McDonald’s Food Plate:  Grease and starch on one side, diabetes and a cheap plastic toy on the other.

T.G.I. Friday’s Food Plate:  Cherry Marga-tinis on one side and Zesty Loaded Potato Dingers on the other.

College Freshmen Food Plate:  Ramen on one side and shitty keg beer on the other.

Soylent Green Food Plate:  IT’S PEOPLE! on one side and IT’S PEOPLE! on the other.

Vegan Food Plate:  Spinach and water on one side and a smug sense of superiority on the other.

Fox News Food Plate:  Palin and Bachmann on one side and I don’t care what you say I still think Obama’s a Kenyan Muslim terrorist on the other.

Food plate!