Baby Carrots make a great snack and are the perfect size veggie to pack in lunches. Kids find them far more interesting then the full sized ones. They are often more willing to eat them especially if they can dip them into something such as ranch dressing. Personally I like mine with a bit of hummus.

10 baby carrots equals:

1 food pyramid serving

1 diabetic vegetable exchange serving

As for package serving I have no idea. I usually drain any water in the package out and stick the carrots into a plastic container. Easier to store then keeping them in a plastic bag.

As I was busy preparing strawberries for the kids I got to thinking about exactly what is one serving of strawberries. A quick check through my sources revealed that there is several answers to that question.

1 food pyramid serving = 1/2 cup fresh fruit

1 diabetic fruit exchange = 1 1/4 cup fruit (with skin, core, etc)

1 food package serving = 6 whole strawberries OR 1 cup of halves

Hmmm….not completely helpful. Then again strawberries are made by nature and come in various sizes and shapes unlike commercially produced packaged foods which are manufacturer to an exact weight. So here’s some strawberries and possible serving sizes:

6 whole strawberries is also equal to:

1 cup of strawberry halves

Which, as far as I can figure out is equal to:

2 food pyramid servings

1 diabetic fruit exchange

1 food package serving

It’s time for the food pyramid to be updated in 2010. Here is the link to the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Right now they are in the process of reviewing and approving changes to the current pyramid which is shown above. Some of the changes suggested include eating more vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, fruits and seafood. They are also recommending increasing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet – not a wise thing to do for many pre-diabetics as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Carbs need to be limited in order to help control blood glucose levels.

Personally some of the other recommendations will just continue to confuse the average person. Limiting “added” sugar sounds like a good idea right? It doesn’t really explain that there are lots of foods that contain “naturally occurring” sugar such as dried fruits that should be limited. Do you include natural sweeteners on that list such as honey or will people just think they are talking about white granulated sugar only? Hmmm…..there’s something to think about.
They are also recommending lowering the amount of salt, cholesterol and certain types of fat. How exactly will people work those recommendations into their current diet of highly processed and fast type foods? If the previous recommendations didn’t work before to help reduce obesity how will the even lower amounts work now?
Since all the past pyramids didn’t do much to help things why not do the one thing that really stands a chance at working – TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO COOK FOR THEMSELVES! 
We live in a time where food has gone mainstream with whole TV networks devoted to cooking yet fewer people actually seem to be cooking. Sure there is a segment of the population who watches Food Network and cooks but, from what I’ve seen, the majority think that cooking from scratch takes too long or requires difficult recipes. This is far from the truth.
The 2010 food pyramid isn’t officially out just yet. When I graduate from school it will still be in effect. I will be expected to use it as one of the many tools available for registered dietitians to use when counselling their patients. I’m very doubtful that it will be useful especially if people lack basic cooking skills. Pictures of pyramids and vague nutritional information won’t help. Real food (not processed/packaged junk) and cooking skills are the key.
How helpful do you think the new changes to the food pyramid be when it comes to helping people eat better? If you think it won’t effect things then what possible might help?