By BRIDGETTE NORRIS
After altering the food pyramid over the years, the United States Department of Agriculture is now replacing it with a new food plate consisting of four main parts: fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. It also includes dairy as a side item. The previous pyramid consisted of milk, meat and beans as additional items. The pyramid has been altered into a plate reducing those components. The plate is an attempt to make it easier for consumers to choose variety per meal, and presents the meal as a whole rather than a hierarchy, shown previously in the pyramid.
“The plate is more beneficial because it is a better way to show how much food for each food group you should eat. It makes it easier for kids to understand,” cafeteria manager Holly Isaac said.
Caloric intake is a factor that should be taken into consideration and varies on weight, height and physical activity levels. For example, students with high activity levels, due to participation in sports, need a higher daily caloric intake because they burn more calories throughout the day.
Both genders require a different daily caloric intake. Males have a higher daily caloric intake than women because they are generally taller and have more muscle. According to the Institute of Medicine, teenage females should get between 1,800 to 2,400 calories a day while teenage males should get between 2,000 and 3,000.
There are different formulas on various health websites, like webmd.com, to calculate personal daily caloric intake.
“I want to make sure all students have the opportunity to choose a nutritional meal. We are working on getting additional lines so it is quicker for students, [we are] working on making sure the second lunch has the same options as the first too,” Isaac said.
The effects of consuming unhealthy food may not have an immediate effect due to ones metabolism rate, but they can have an effect later in life. Increasing blood pressure and cholesterol are effects of eating foods with low nutritional value.
To encourage students to eat healthy meals, during the week, students have the opportunity to purchase school breakfast and lunch that follows nutritional standards set by the state, controlling calories, sodium and only providing skim milk. Students could begin to take advantage of school provided breakfast and lunch to receive nutritional meals and make healthy eating a habit.
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