‘My Plate’(shown above) recently replaced the ‘Food Pyramid’ as America’s official guide to the well-balanced diet. Michelle Obama was the principle speaker at the ceremonies announcing this change. Click here to see video clips of what CBS News said about this event. As part of the coverage of this announcement, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopolis interviewed the White House chef as he prepared a meal that was compatible with the new program and announced that Ms. Obama had directed that the entire family would be eating “from the plate” from now on.

Since ‘My Plate’ was announced less than 48 hours ago, reactions are tentative and vague. Most of the comments I read suggest that this is not a new diet but rather improved teaching tool. And everyone agrees that a new teaching tool was desperately needed — American’s were simply not getting the message. The newly-announced diet says a great deal about the importance of whole grains, but does not require (or even suggest) that wheat must be the grain-of-choice. Perhaps it is significant that the White House chef chose demonstrate this new approach to dieting by preparing a meal using whole grain brown rice.

I’ll be writing much more about ‘My Plate’ in the very near future. I have successfully followed the gluten free diet for a decade. Now I need a diet and a lifestyle that is both gluten free and healthy in all other respects.