Paleo vs. Healthy Plate Essay Clips

I really liked the idea of sharing a little bit about our essays. So here are a couple clips from mine where I compared the Paleo diet, the government sponsored "healthy plate," and what I wanted for myself.

 

Paleo:

 

"If it wasn't on a caveman's menu, it shouldn't be on yours." That's the
basic premise of a Paleo diet.

Translation: plenty of meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, vegetables, fruit,
honey, and nuts, but no grains (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, oatmeal,
cookies, pastries, cakes, muffins, etc.), beans, dairy foods, refined
sugars, caffeine, or alcohol.

The Paleo diet, or the “cavemen diet,” is a guideline to eating based upon our bodies’ biology. This diet is based on the premise that our bodies’ nutritional needs have not caught up with the evolution of our food.

 

In regards to the type of food, all meat must be grass-fed, or the natural equivalent. Poultry, eggs, and even seafood must be “free-range” or bred in the environment it would naturally inhabit.

 

Healthy Plate:

 

The healthy plate is the government sponsored nutritional plan that is based on consuming a stated proportion of the daily food intake in each of four categories of food, namely fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. The government website for Nutrition Policy and Promotion illustrates the diet with an image of a dinner plate, and sectors off how much of said plate should have each kind of food. One fourth is designated to protein, one fourth to carbs, one fourth to vegetables, and one fourth to fruit. There is also a cup of milk on the side that represents the addition of a dairy product.

 

My plan:

 

I prefer the Paleo diet over the Healthy Plate. It makes most sense to me nutritionally, despite the trade-offs of a less popular diet over a government-backed one. The idea that our bodies have not had time to evolutionarily catch up with the processing of foods and the ingredients used in that processing seems a logical conclusion given the timing of the obesity epidemic and our reliance on fast foods. Also, the increased dependence on wheat products, many of which are found in addictive, sugary products, and the lack of portion control all led to a less then healthy America.

Ultimately, I do not think going on the Paleo diet is plausible while I am attending Smith College. This diet requires a kitchen and significant time designated to food preparation. However, when at home, I believe that I could find ways to financially support the diet, and would be very interested in pursuing it.