The food Scheme-amid

So everyone has been bombarded by the "Food Pyramid" since oh, elementary school? It's on cereal boxes that we read in the morning while we mindlessly munch on sugary cereals, it's hanging in lunchrooms all over this nation, and in doctor's offices, and in nutrition-counselor's offices, and it is touted as the diet that everyone should follow for good health. Today, I'd like to examine the Food Pyramid from a macrobiotic standpoint. And - I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist, so please take this post with a grain of salt, if you are the author of the all-important Food Pyramid, or a strong proponent thereof. I happen to believe that the Food Pyramid is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's big trick on the American public.... but here goes.

The First Food pyramid was developed in the 1960s. Before that, in 1894, the USDA published its first dietary recommendations. In 1916, Food For Young Children was published, outlining 5 food groups: milk/meat, cereal, vegetables/fruits, fats/fatty foods, and sugars/sugary foods. The idea of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA's) for Americans didn't come around until 1941 with President Franklin Roosevelt. The "Basic Four" was introduced, to help people deal with shortage of food supplies during the war, outlining the four categories of foods to eat: milk, meats, fruits and vegetables, and grain products. Fats, sweets, and alcoholic beverages were added in the 1970s when Americans began developing more chronic diseases like strokes and heart disease -- the USDA recommended that these new foods were to be consumed "in moderation." The Pyramid itself came out in 1992, and nutritional labels on foods didn't come in until 1994!

Now, where the first food recommendations contained the four food groups milk, meats, fruits and vegetables, and grains, it seems that priorities were seriously skewed in favor of economic gain. If the U.S. government is putting out recommendations for healthy eating, many Americans are going to pay attention to what they are saying. Some have even said that the food pyramid correlates to obesity and chronic health problems. The current Pyramid, which has been renamed, "MyPyramid," to allow the hip Americans to really take ownership over the thing, says that we should have the following: 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of dairy, 3-5 servings of meat (or alternatives -- for those who are "opposed to" meat)...

Now, the problems come when we think about what would be allowed under the diet. I could wake up, have for breakfast: a McMuffin (1 grain, 1 dairy, 1 meat), and drink an OJ from McDonald's while I'm there (1 fruit); for snack: a few baby carrots (which don't really exist, but are big carrots mushed up and compacted back into smaller carrots by big factory machines) (1 vegetable); for lunch: a burger w/ lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, and a white hamburger bun (1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 grain, 1 dairy); for dinner: a steak, baked potato, some corn, a glass of milk, a glass of wine, and a piece of apple pie (1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 dairy, 1 fruit)... and I've stayed well within my limits on meat, dairy, and accomplished my goals on vegetables, fruit, but I've slacked a little on grains...

I'm not saying people shouldn't eat meat - I'm not even saying they shouldn't eat dairy (although I have found that not eating meat or dairy has allowed me to feel 100 times better than when I was eating those foods)... I'm saying that the U.S. government is contributing to the decline of our nation's health by promoting this sort of a diet to the millions -- considering the bottom line for the meat and dairy industries rather than the health implications for citizens... One particularly disturbing piece of information on the initial Pyramid is that the Department of Health and Human Services, the nation's leading agency in American health, did not participate in talks regarding the guidelines, but instead the USDA developed them - the USDA being primarily interested in the dairy/meat industry and their pocketbooks, I suspect. Just food for thought - I'd love to hear your insights - leave a comment!