How The Healthy-Free Kids Act Of 2010 Changed American Views Of Nutrition

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How the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 Changed American Views of Nutrition In 1991, the USDA announced the Eating Right Pyramid. It was made to be a visual representation of what a person’s diet should consist of as recommended by the federal government. This so-called food pyramid received criticism before it was ever revealed and long after. Despite this, it would serve as the model for the United States for 20 years until the advent of MyPlate in 2011. The switch to MyPlate was part of American schools' much larger nutrition reform. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act of 2010 sought to increase the quality of nutrition children received from school lunches. This reform and the food model change that came with it shifted the American …show more content…

It is not shaped like a pyramid, but rather depicts two circles; one represents a plate that is split into four quadrants of different food categories, and the other to the side represents a cup of milk. One major emphasis of my plate was the visual representation that it served as The MyPlate model changed a lot of the things that the previous pyramid models had received criticism for. It was made to be easier to look at and visualize next to a real plate of food, especially for children or their busy parents. It is not made to be a 3-dimensional model and has no hierarchy between the food groups. While it can't be said for sure, it is likely that this was a direct response to the HHFKA. The dramatic change in school nutrition standards sparked a need for a food model that matched and was easy for children to …show more content…

The plate design is a better model for ease of use when compared to the previous pyramid-shaped models. The simple graphics used for MyPlate make it easier to understand. As a result, it is more likely to be used and the impact food models are supposed to have will be more effective. If it were not for the HHFKA MyPlate may never have been made and nutrition guidelines may still be the more complicated and controversial pyramid