Top Eleven Reasons the New USDA Food Plate Can't Work

1.  Cheese

2.  Pizza

3.  Sandwiches

4.  Pasta dishes

5.  Any hotdish or casserole

6.  Soups and stews

7.  Breakfast cereal

8.  Tacos and burritos

9.  Salads

10.  Fruit juices and "adult beverages"

11.  Lactose intolerance

All of these are reasons that the new "My Plate" effort is doomed to fail from the start, as all of these very popular foods--really most of the American diet--simply do not fit into it.  What to use instead?  I'd recommend the "four food groups" that the USDA was using back in the 1970s.   Simple, clear, and you can adapt it to virtually any culture's food types.