The Harvard Plate

[iteles]

We often hear in blw circles that the Harvard Plate is the best way to balance a baby's plate to make sure they are getting adequate nutrition.

Tasks

• [x] Research and write up what the Harvard plate is
• [x] Research and write up why the Harvard plate is different to other proposed 'healthy' plate compositions (I honestly don't know and would be curious)

[Stephanymtr]

Harvard Plate (or the Healthy Eating plate)

What is the Harvard Plate?

The Healthy Eating Plate was created by nutrition experts at the Harvard School of Public Health. It offers more specific and more accurate recommendations for following a healthy diet as it is based on the most up-to-date nutrition research, and (according to them 🤔) it is not influenced by the food industry or agriculture policy.

What it the composition of the Harvard Plate ?

The sections of the Healthy Eating Plate include:

Vegetables: Eat an abundant variety, the more the better. Limited consumption of potatoes is recommended, however, as they are full of rapidly digested starch, which has the same roller-coaster effect on blood sugar as refined grains and sweets. In the short-term, these surges in blood sugar and insulin lead to hunger and overeating, and in the long term, to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders. Fruits: Choose a rainbow of fruits every day. Whole Grains: Choose whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice. Refined grains, such as white bread and white rice, act like sugar in the body. Eating too many refined grains can raise the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Healthy Proteins: Choose fish, poultry, beans, or nuts, which contain healthful nutrients. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats, since eating even small quantities of these on a regular basis raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and weight gain. Healthy Oils: Use olive, canola, and other plant oils in cooking, on salads, and at the table, since these healthy fats reduce harmful cholesterol and are good for the heart. Limit butter and avoid trans fat. Water: Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk and dairy (1-2 servings per day) and juice (1 small glass a day) and avoid sugary drinks.

• The sizes of the sections suggest estimated proportions of each of the food groups to include on a healthy plate.

[Stephanymtr]

Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA’s MyPlate

“MyPlate” dietary guidelines was created by the U.S. government, and although I believe this plate mixes science with powerful agricultural interests (which might not be the most reliable source to follow), it’s yet very popular, so let’s go over some of their main differences between this plate and the Harvard Plate: MyPlate’s protein section offers no indication that some high-protein foods—fish, poultry, beans, nuts—are healthier than red meats and processed meats; MyPlate doesn’t mention the beneficial fats; it does not discriminate between potatoes and other much healthier vegetables; it recommends dairy at every meal 🙄 , even though there is little evidence that dairy intake protects against osteoporosis, but substantial evidence that high intake can be harmful; Lastly, their plate is silent about healthy activities, and the dangerous of sugary drinks. Harvard plate believes that knowing what food to eat and what proportions will have a huge impact one’s diet.

Sources: https://www.myplate.gov/ https://integracareclinics.com/a-more-detailed-plate-harvards-healthy-eating-plate/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ The images above are screenshots from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate-vs-usda-myplate/

[Stephanymtr]

Out of curiosity, I looked it up which food model the UK follows, and it’s called the Eatwell Guide. However, it was published in March 2016 and it looks like it hasn’t been updated since then.

EatWell Guide

Some of it main recommendations are to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. Have potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates as base for meals; choosing wholegrain versions if possible. Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks); choosing lower fat and lower sugar options. Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily). Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts. Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of fluid a day.

Sources: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/ https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/eatwell-guide-how-to-eat-a-healthy-balanced-diet

[iteles]

@Stephanymtr Thanks for this! Is there a standard followed in Portugal? Maybe even one touted by the creches as the right way to eat healthy?

[Stephanymtr]

Portugal Food Wheel Guide (or A Roda dos Alimentos).

Directed by the Faculty of Food Sciences and Nutrition from the University of Porto, this most recent food guide is a food wheel divided into segments representing seven food groups: meat, fish, seafood, and eggs; milk and dairy products; pulses; fats and oils; potato, cereal and cereal products; vegetables; fruits. The image I attached above shows the percentage/size of each food group segment which reflects how much the group should contribute to the total daily diet. Water is in center of the Food Wheel to highlight the importance of hydration balance. 💧 The Intended audience is for the Portuguese population in general. However, children from 1-3 years old should be guided by the lower limits and active men and teenage boys by upper limits; the remaining population must be guided by the intermediate values.

The PDF below explains this guide a bit more, but unfortunately, there isn't really a separated guide focused on children.

Sources : https://alimentacaosaudavel.dgs.pt/roda-dos-alimentos/ https://www.dgs.pt/ficheiros-de-upload-1/alimentacao-roda-dos-alimentos-pdf.aspx https://www.asae.gov.pt/seguranca-alimentar/riscos-nutricionais-/roda-dos-alimentos.aspx

However, I was able to find that some cities, for example, Matosinhos administration has an ‘ementa mensal’ that offers different menu ideas: https://www.cm-matosinhos.pt/servicos-municipais/educacao/ementa-mensal They also have got a form that allows those with restrictive diet to receive a special menu as well. I went on the https://www.cm-braga.pt/pt website to look for which ementas they recommend, and although I was able to find some news food related articles (ex: https://www.cm-braga.pt/pt/0201/comunicacao/noticias/item/item-1-12989?q=ementa ), I had no luck finding a specific menu that the adm recommends.

It’s worth mentioning that Ementa is one of the columns I have added to our Braga Schools Market Research Sheet. Since most schools share their Ementas, I figured we could refer to that document whenever we need some inspiration or a base for BMH’s future menu. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dsdGb7upw66CXH4qzPX3m23ijc2DzD433eVSNOkregI/edit?ouid=110108174404680935808&usp=sheets_home&ths=true