Why a LowCarb Plate?

As far back as I can remember our government has been trying to tell us how to eat. First there was the "Basic 7" and then when I was in grade school in the 1940's we had the "Four Food Groups". I can remember proudly pointing out in a 4H Club demonstration that I gave how the items in my salad represented each of the groups. I got a blue ribbon for that demonstration.

When I was older and was trying to feed my own child a healthy diet, the government came out with a pyramid chart to show relatively how much food should come from each group. This was later updated when "My Pyramid" came out with a little guy running up some stairs on the side to shoe that exercise is important, too.

Finally in 2010 there was another update. This time a chart in the form of a plate to show how much of what group should comprise a healthy meal.

A closer look at these guides reveals that in all of them carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes) make up at least if not more than 75% of the total amount of food. That is a high carbohydrate diet in my book. And starting in about the 1970's the government started recommending low or non fat dairy, lean meat, limiting red meat. In other words they were telling us to limit saturated fat.

The new "MyPlate" chart came to my attention during the spring of 2011. At that point I had been researching low-carbohydrate (fruits and vegetables with no refined carbs like bread or other grains) diets. My husband and I had been following such a "diet" for a few months and were being very successful at loosing weight and he was at the same time reducing his need for insulin to control his diabetes.

Being somewhat irritated that my government was recommending the opposite of what we were finding to be of great help to us, I decided to make my own plate. This blog is a result of that effort.