After a lot of anticipation the USDA finally released their new take on eating a balanced diet.  After taking the heat on the difficulty of understanding the food pyramid (who needs math, after all) the pyramid has now been converted into a numberless pie chart.  Forget the confusing measurements and busy icons, the chart has been ultra-simplified.  It's basic, colorful and amazing that someone didn't come up with it sooner.  The dairy industry is happy, fruit and vegetable businesses are happy, who knows what the grains folks think and the only ones that were really shafted were the meat people. 

In celebration of this event I've collected some comments I heard throughout the day when I showed off the new plate.  Feel free to comment with some of your own, if you feel so inspired.

- Where's the "only sometimes" group? 

- What, no spoon?

- I want a cake and butter plate on there.

- When did they separate fruits and vegetables?

- Why are the veggies so big?

- Is that what we're paying them for..
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- No more water!

- Yay purple! (that was my daughter)

-  Looks like vegetable snacks are on the horizon... (that was me)