(figure available in print form)
Way too much grains is what we see. They should be pushed to the top of the pyramid. And for those who insist on being flesh eaters (fish, poultry, beef, etc), those foods should be put in that 20% category, at the top, as well. The Fruits and Vegetables, on the other hand, should be on the bottom making up the 80%. All of these that can be eaten RAW should be eaten that way. This way they maintain more of their nutritional value.
It seems that every food group is pushing to show how man can’t get along without its particular foods. Everybody needs MILK! Pork, the OTHER white MEAT! Beef, it’s what’s for dinner tonight! And let us not forget the countless cereal commercials and all the little toys and gadgets your children can get FREE if they buy this or that nutritious (OK?) cereal. Even one of our former presidents publicly said he did not like broccoli. Who really cares about his personal likes and dislikes especially when it comes to healthy foods. How much more difficult did he make it for a parent trying to get his or her child to eat that vegetable or any other vegetable for that matter? President so-and-so does not like it and he became the President. Do you see the direction we are heading in and have been heading in for many, many years? Perhaps you yourself as an educator have echoed things same type of sentiments as well. I do not like this. It does not taste good (something known to be good for you) or I am still going to eat this or that because it tastes good (something that may have been proven or logically shown to be not good for you).
Poor children! Are you, as an educator, going to tell your own children or your school children it’s OK to eat only the things they like especially since they TASTE SO DARN GOOD? Look at yourself. Consider your ailments over the years. Lack of energy, high blood pressure, cancers, anemia, overweight, underweight, frequent colds, sinus problems, arthritis, eczema, smoking, drinking, gas, indigestion, and anything else you have to take a prescription or over the counter remedy for, is a consequence of your dietary choice. You say it has worked all right for you all these years. Well, think again! Do you make wise, nutritious snack and meal choices? Or do you eat the same chips, candy, pork rinds, donuts, sugar water (kool-aids), coffees (stimulants), and other unhealthful items just like or children/students? Are drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day? The purpose of this unit is to help students to make well-informed choices. They have always had the OTHER information, the meat and potato idea. So now let’s give a fair hearing to the fruit, nuts, vegetables, and grains solution, without the meat eater’s prejudice. McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Popeye’s, Wendy’s, Subway, all flesh eater Paradises.
