Following a healthy diet can be a lot more difficult than you might anticipate.

Iowa State Extension Nutrition and Health Program Specialist Holly Van Heel says she often encounters people who believe they adhere to proper nutritional guidelines, but the majority of people are not close to eating in line with USDA’s MyPlate.

When MyPlate replaced the Food Guide Pyramid a couple years ago, one major change was made to what is considered a healthy diet: significantly less protein and dairy.    

“Protein is now taking less than a quarter, or should be, of our plate.  The fruits and the vegetables are taking half our plates.  And then grains are taking the other little bit over a quarter.  Looking at that along with dairy, people are getting the idea that, ‘gosh, does my plate look like MyPlate?’.”

Van Heel says families often eat too many processed meats like deli turkey and ham, which are high in sodium levels.  Sodium is a preservative used to keep food fresh, and Van Heel says if you see long-lasting fresh food items on the grocery shelves, leave them there.

There is one thing Van Heel misses about the old pyramid: the direct reference to physical activity.

“The thing that I do miss is the little guy going up the stairs along pyramid, and there are six steps there.  I kind of refer to him also with MyPlate because six steps means six days of the week we should be active, whether its going up stairs, or running or doing something.”

If you’re a sweet-tooth, don’t worry…Van Heel says there are room for desserts in your diet too.

Tune in to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County with Van Heel during the 9am, noon and 5 o’clock hours to hear more about how to eat healthy and keep those desserts in moderation.