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Back to the Basics

Remember the Food Guide Pyramid? That cute infographic from the early 90’s showing us how we should be eating? It changed again in the mid 2000’s, taking on a new name, MyPyramid Food Guidance System. This version took into account physical activity, and skewing the design from a horizontal layout to a more vertical layout. Then in 2011, the design changed one more time; MyPlate. Instead of a pyramid, we now can see what proportions would look like, in a more realistic way, hoping to make people more conscious about what they were placing on their plate.

Finally, consciousness enters the food world! So, how can we take this old-school knowledge from the USDA and make it applicable to our busy lives? Fortunately, the hard work has been done for you. Drawn from the extensive research that John Berardi and his Precision Nutrition team has done, the once complicated concept of portion size and calories has been deduced to the basics. Now, not just health professionals and body builders can understand how to eat properly, but you – the average human – can too!

Click here to take a look at Precision Nutrition’s version of MyPlate. You’ll notice three types of plates for different situations – a little something for everyone!

The ‘Anytime Plate.’ This plate best suits those who are sedentary, or are eating a meal that is not following a workout.

1. Choose the base your meal around a type of protein. Plant based, animal based – whatever tickles your fancy. This can be a quarter of your plate.
2. Pick some vegetables. Maybe they’re raw, maybe they’re cooked, don’t be shy, the world is your oyster. Pile them on! More than a half of a plates worth is awesome.
3. Pick a healthy fat that takes up about an 8th of the plate.
4. Drink some water or tea.

The ‘Post Workout Plate.’ Just finished a workout? Great, now is the time to eat your largest meal of the day! Your window of opportunity is directly after your workout up to about 90 minutes later – the sooner the better. Take this time to replenish your depleted muscles with protein and carbs.

1. Fill half your plate with protein.
2. Fill the other half of your plate with vegetables.
3. Fill a small bowl with smart carbs [Yes! There are carbs you should be eating!]
4. Drink more water or tea.

The ‘Plant Based Eater’s Plate.’

1. Half of the plate is filled with non-starchy vegetables.
2. One quarter of the plate is filled with plant proteins: beans, legumes, etc.
3. One eighth of the plate is filled with healthy fats
4. The remaining eighth is filled with smart carbs aka your starchy carbs: sweet/potatoes, whole grains, bread, etc.
5. A small bowl of fruit for a post workout treat.
6. Water or tea.

Confused by any of the jargon? Check out the breakdown in the Fitness News section of the Custom Kinetics website. Want to hear something even better? Custom Kinetics offers different levels of an online coaching program, ProCoach, that helps to easily educate and guide even the least nutrition-savvy folks towards a healthier, less complicated lifestyle. Whether you are looking to learn more about the best way to eat, or are ready to jump into some new habits, the coaches at Custom Kinetics are ready to help – send an email to nutrition@customkinetics.com today!