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Food Pyramid Discussions

You all remember this pictorial, right? Courtesy of the USDA...



Elliot, the six-year-old has been learning about this diagram in his health and PE class. This past Thursday we were talking about it, looking at it, labeling it, when I had a brainstorm. Suppose we, as a family, keep track of what we eat for the course of a day and track it on a blank copy of the current pyramid? Not altering too much what we eat or go terribly out of our way to fill the requirements, but just to see how we typically fare in getting our recommendations.

Huh. Talk about eating like food matters. When you stop to think about everything you put in your mouth and where you will plot it on the pyramid...all of a sudden, the purchase of a small bag of pretzel M&Ms becomes super-important and thought-provoking.

Because honestly, where would you put it? Does it really do anything for your body?

These are the questions we are asking ourselves today as we attempt this "experiment". The earlier dialogues are the by-products of the day's progress.

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