A Triscuit, a Task Ahead
The work for the CPPW (Communities Putting Prevention to Work) grant project is humming along. My colleague, Carol White, and I have five power points and 2/3 of the workbook completed for the ensuing spring and summer workshops (hooray!) titled “Discover. Cook. Nourish: the why and how of whole foods cooking for school food service staff”
A challenge arose in portraying the USDA guidelines in the power point on balanced meals - the crazy quilt 
pyramid with the android running up the side of it? The one where figuring out which colored stripe means what takes some wild guessing, a magnifying glass or both. We look up close and personal at this chart during my class at Bastyr. The two Triscuits prominently displayed beneath the orange stripe and the quart of milk, pint of milk, and (in case you didn’t get it) glass of milk, dancing within the blue stripe are noteworthy. If you believe these were artistic choices, pull your head out of the Nabisco box.
In the slide for the workshops I chose the soft word “compromised” in describing the pyramid. Not polite to admonish rules for which there are no alternatives. Still, it’s good to add the reminder that the regulations put forth by the USDA are loaded with political punch and financial headlocks.
This morning I read Marion Nestle’s food politics blog where she outlined her 2011 predictions. Apparently a new pictorial USDA food guideline is ready for launch. Ms. Nestle says, “The 2005 pyramid’s rainbow stripes proved impossible to teach and useless to anyone without a computer. I’ve heard a rumor that I will love the new design. I’m skeptical. ”
Amen. Impossible to teach are the right words. How one would construct a balanced meal by staring at the stripes with the product menagerie spilling out of the bottom is beyond me. Too many interest groups spoiled the broth?
(from Cynthia)
Tags: CPPW, Et Al, Food Politics, Labeling, Et Al, labeling, Marion Nestle, nutrition, school lunch, triscuit, USDA Pyramid
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Hey Cynthia,
When it comes to food pyramids, I have built a better mousetrap! My trademarked House of Health system is a much better metaphor for creating health than any pyramid could ever be!
After all, we live in houses, not pyramids.
Here’s a quick explanation:
http://www.drsusanrubin.com/faulty-food-pyramids/
Comment by Susan Rubin — January 4, 2011 @ 7:44 pm
love marion nestle! also, i’m so intrigued to see the new pyrmamid, i didn’t know of this. hopefully it will include water - why has it never included water… ?
Comment by heather — January 5, 2011 @ 10:01 am
What do you think of the Willet pyramid (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/) or the the pyramids offered by oldways (http://www.oldwayspt.org/vegetarian-diet-pyramid)?
Comment by Anne Harrington — January 8, 2011 @ 8:01 am
Hi Anne,
There are some good things about ALL of the various food pyramids (even the USDA ones). The Willet pyramid has some strong points however I don’t agree with the idea of ample refined seed oils (such as canola) or with shaming butter and salt - which I consider healthy whole foods, important for creating flavor. The Oldways pyramid also has some good points; the base is sensible. But I have never seen the value of eating just the egg whites or with (again) clumping all seed oils in the same “healthy” category. Most post “Check Your Oil” clarifies my POV on this: http://www.cookusinterruptus.com/blog/?p=54
Thanks Anne.
Comment by Cynthia Lair — January 8, 2011 @ 9:09 am
So… our school system uses liquid partially-hydrogenated fat in all its bread, rice, potato, etc…. products, except for the Country Crock they put out for the students to take as many as they want. “Because, what else could we use since we can’t serve butter that’s causes heart disease.” per the head nutritionist. (Not worth the battle!)
Therefore my children are forbidden from consuming such. 4 sides are offered at each meal. This year my kids started coming home hungry on lunch buying days (max 1/week!). It turns out they were having their 2nd apple or 2nd fruit salad taken away from them by the cashier and being told they couldn’t have 2 of the same thing.
How did we get permission for my kids to have 2 apples instead of 1 apple and a serving of say trans-fat full rehydrated instant mashed potatoes covered w/ trans-fat gravy? We had to get a doctor’s note and the kids have to remind the cashier every time!
Big thumbs down for USDA school nutrition rules that takes fresh fruit off a child’s tray!!!
Comment by Lori — January 13, 2011 @ 4:06 pm