“That’s how little sugar I can eat?!”is what a kid would ask and exclaim looking at the food pyramid back in the old days.

The food pyramid, was created as a nutrition guide, that was first sorted out by Wilbur Olin Atwater, Ph.D., in the 1800s. He calculated the efficiency in his set diet and stressed the intake on vegetables, proteins, fruits, and whole grains and limiting fats and sugars. In 1917, the very first food guide was released called How to Select Foods written by one of the nutritionists of the USDA, Caroline Hunt. By 1988, food pyramids were brought in and revised, categorizing the different types of foods by how much you are suppose to take in.

The food pyramid was introduced to the United States in 1992 and was helpful in a low-carb diet, but had misleading information. The food pyramid was divided into six categories. The first, being fats, oils, and sweets which you have to use sparingly. As you go down, you need 2-3 servings of diary, 2-3 servings of meat and nuts, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, and 6-11 servings of grains. Many of us wondered and questioned that not all fats are bad for the body. Omega 3 from salmon helps prevent coronary disease and relief skin conditions.

The idea of having a visual is for people to get the idea right away. Majority would look at an ad for 3 seconds. How could they get the whole message within that time span? Nutrition experts want people to get the idea of how much to eat of what right away within a grasp.

Nutritionists and First Lady Michelle Obama imposed on a change of the food guide. They said good-bye to the food pyramid and presented the new food plate. The food plate is easy to understand. It is a simple visual of a plate that has been divided into four quarters of fruits, grains and protein. On the side of the plate there is a fork and a glass of diary. There is no confusion. People look at there food plates everyday, so the food plate guide really does help people know how much they should eat of different food categories.

McKinley’s cafeteria manager, Mitch Arnold is in charge of our meals. He wants what is best for the students. The food department to switch immediately to whole grains. Arnold hesitates on this. When we switch to whole grains and wheat, students will have a hard time to chew it. It does not matter if they put honey or any other sweets to the grain. Students will have difficulty eating. Arnold follows Hawaii’s 5210. (there is a banner in the cafeteria) 5 fruits, roots and vegetables. 2 hours of screen time. 1 hour of physical play and 0 sugary drinks. As time progresses, students will start to notice the changes in school lunches.

“There will be an increase in vegetables and fruits in students’ meals. I encourage those to ask for more fruits or vegetables if wanted because we have so much extra food left over,” says Arnold.

Eating more in these categories boosts up the immune system for a better body to work with. Another change would be that in the next year or perhaps, even the next school year, technology will be advancing. Meal cashiers and students will be working with trackers and laptops when purchasing meals or snacks.

Eating healthy does benefit you a lot. It’s important to have a healthy diet because “I want to be healthy and I want to stay fit. I eat the right foods and eat fast foods once a month,” says Sarah Liu (11).

For Chelsie Wang (11), as a vegetarian, she likes what the school has to offer.

“The cafeteria gives a well-balanced meal with fruits, vegetables, and a pint of milk,” says Wang.

Students with a good appetite for healthy eating will grow up to be strong, smart and won’t be prone to much disease, prolonging their life spans.