What Should I Eat?

This Healthy Eating Plate, created by Harvard's School of Public Health Nutrition Department, is a sensible approach to healthy eating. It relies on evidence-based diet and nutrition information that is not influenced by special interest groups (e.g., meat and dairy lobbyists) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture which regulates farm policy instead of health policy.

In contrast to USDA's MyPlate, the Healthy Eating Plate's focus is on diet quality. For example, the type of carbohydrate is more important than the amount because some carbohydrate sources (e.g., vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans) are obviously healthier than others (e.g., potatoes, French fries, white rice and white bread).

It also recommends limiting red meat and avoiding processed meats such as bacon and sausage which are known to increase cancer risk.