Rethinking The Food Pyramid: What To Trust And What To Ignore

The latest flip of the food pyramid sparked a lot of reactions in our feeds, and for good reason: it reflects how nutrition advice can swing from one extreme to the next. We take a clear-eyed look at why those swings leave people confused and hungry, and we map out a steady, practical approach to protein, plants, and sustainable habits that actually fit real life. You’ll hear how a simple protein baseline can stabilize appetite and energy, why spacing protein across the day matters, and how to use satiety as your most honest progress marker.

We revisit insights from past guests with different viewpoints, from nutrient-dense plant strategies to protein-forward frameworks, and pull out principles that work regardless of diet label. Expect straightforward numbers you can test right away, like aiming for 0.6 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight for most people, and up to 1.2 if you’re training hard. We also address the fear of “too much protein,” why many women in midlife actually under-eat it, and how resistance training turns protein from a number into real results.

Rather than outsource your choices to trends, we share a flexible plate method and quick meal ideas you can repeat on busy days: think Greek yogurt with berries and hemp seeds, chicken with quinoa and frozen veggies, or tofu stir-fry with rice. The goal is balance without overwhelm, combining protein, colorful plants, whole grains, and healthy fats in portions that match your body, schedule, and preferences. If you’re ready to stop chasing fads and start listening to your own signals, this conversation gives you the tools and confidence to move forward.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Spandex and Wine, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Want coaching support to personalize your plan? Email info@spandexandwine.com or text 913-392-2877 to get started.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Show Purpose
• 0:52 Mixed Feelings On The New Pyramid
• 2:19 From Extremes To Balanced Eating
• 3:36 Coaching Without Strict Meal Plans
• 3:59 Past Guests On Protein Baselines
• 5:14 Are We Overdoing Protein
• 6:04 Plant-Based Vs Carnivore Contrasts
• 7:00 Practical Protein Targets
• 8:31 Bottom Line And How To Get Help
• 9:19 Subscribe, Review, And Community

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Spandex and Wine Podcast. I'm your host, Robin Hackney, and I'm so happy that you're here. This podcast is a place for conversations about balancing a healthy lifestyle and being happy. More specifically, happy hour. Together we'll explore all things wellness and wine. I hope you learn a little, laugh a lot, and along the way, know you're not alone on this balanced wellness journey. Ready to jump in? Pour something in your glass that makes you happy because it's time for Spandex and Wine. Welcome back to the Spandex and Wine Podcast. I'm your host, Robin Hackney. If you are new here, thank you so much for checking it out. And if you're a seasoned listener, thank you for your continued support. I appreciate anyone that takes the time to listen and play along with me. And today I want to start with the new food pyramid and why I have mixed feelings. And I'm wondering if anyone else does, and if you had flashbacks of fifth grade health class when you saw everyone post about it, at least it came up in my feed a lot, probably because of just all my connections in the wellness industry. But I'm sure you saw it at some point. And I am genuinely happy to see protein getting the attention it deserves. I've been encouraging my clients to eat more protein for years, not just for muscle, but for digestion, balancing blood sugar, supporting hormones, and overall health. So seeing that front and center feels long overdue. But what really got me thinking is how the pyramid has basically flipped. And it made me wonder why do we always have to swing to extremes? Think back to the 80s and 90s. Everything was low fat and no fat. We were told fat was the enemy, and in my opinion, it did us no favors. Our brains need fat, our bodies need fat. And then we swung in the other direction with the no-carb phase, and suddenly every woman thought that carbohydrates were evil. We demonize food so much that people are left confused and frustrated and afraid to eat. It is so frustrating. And everyone in the wellness profession probably agrees with me. Actually, now that I say that out loud, probably there's some that do not. In fact, I know there are some that would not. They would think that it was okay. Um, and I don't get why we can't just focus on balanced whole foods. And to me, that looks like lean protein, vegetables and fruits, uh, whole grains, nuts, legumes, just real food eaten consistently, nothing extreme. And I am great about it all the time. No, I'm not. I mean, there is wine. It's you know, I have my downfalls too. But yes, overall, I like the food pyramid. It's overdue, but I think we can make nutrition too complicated, and we tend to wait for someone else, like this food pyramid, to tell us what to eat. Instead, why not listen to your body and learn what actually works for you? That's basically my job as a health coach. I help women figure out what fuels them without extremes or overwhelm. I will not tell someone what to eat. I used to in the past, I would come up with a food plan, I would give it to people. Now I have learned that I will make suggestions and I will work with my coaching clients to build a plan together because if I do it, then it's not something that is doable for them. It has to be a group effort, a team effort, and I will never again make a plan for someone. Even with exercise too, I try and get all the information that I can with program design from the other person because it has to be something that you will stick with. And in today's episode, I thought it would be fun just to reflect back on what some of my past guests have said about protein because their insights do kind of line up with the new guidance and the guideline. Some, I guess some wouldn't, but if you remember when I interviewed nutritionist Elizabeth Arnsberg, which she has a new last name now, she got married, she shared a really practical way to think about protein needs that fits beautifully with what we're seeing in the updated nutrition guidelines. She explained that a good baseline for most people is around point grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. And what stood out to me is what she said that most people aren't even hitting that baseline, especially women in midlife. She also emphasized that protein isn't just about building muscle. One of the biggest signs you're getting enough protein is how long your meals keep you full. If your meal has adequate protein, this is what she was saying, you should feel satisfied for about three to five hours. That's such a helpful real life test, I think. If you're hungry an hour later, it's not willpower, it's probably a protein gap. So I'm so glad that she shared all of that. I think it was season two, episode 77. I'm not sure, but I'll list that in there. And I do think that aligns well with the new food pyramids, the emphasis on quality protein throughout the day and not just at dinner, it's not about extremes. It's about meeting your baseline consistently and then adjusting based on how you feel and how active you are. Speaking of that, I have heard some experts saying we are going to swing too far the other way now and get too much protein, and that it's going to show up as disease in our bodies. And some even claim the average person is already eating too much. I don't know who they're studying because almost every client I work with is under-eating protein and consistently. Now, one argument I read said people get too much protein because they're not strength training enough. And honestly, it kind of feels backwards when I hear that. Why would we not flip that and encourage people to strength train and eat adequate protein to support it? Now, there's an idea. And do you guys remember when I interviewed Dr. Joel Furman and my friend Rob Douglas in back-to-back episodes? Holy cow, those two conversations had my head spinning because Dr. Furman, if you'll remember, um, is a hundred percent plant-based and believes that animal products lead to disease and early death. And Rob is all carnivore and believes we should only eat animal products and that plants are basically poison. He said that. Yes. They both really had great arguments in their episodes, and both were convincing. And I can only imagine that neither one of them would be happy with this food pyramid and they would see it as backwards too. Even Rob with um the protein being on the top. I don't know if I told you guys, and this is just kind of a side note. I I don't remember what got me here, but I started this year in 2026. I wanted to read through the Bible through the entire year. And I guess the reason I'm mentioning that is because I have already read that both animals and plants were given to us to eat, and that sounds like balance to me. And we can talk about that another episode, but I just thought I would mention that. My personal take on protein, at a minimum, I think most people should aim for 0.6 grams per pound of body weight. I'm that's on the low end, I think. That's not for someone training hard. Ideally, depending on how much strength training you're doing, I recommend somewhere between 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight. So do the math, you guys. Check that out, see where you're at. There are populations that that would be way too much, whatever you know, with their health and their um history. There are populations where higher protein makes total sense and they need that. But balance, you guys, we just need to figure out what actually works in our own bodies. And if you need help with that, reach out. That is exactly what I coach. My original plan for the episode today was to bring back a few past guests and have kind of a roundtable conversation. I wanted a nurse, a dietitian, a nutritionist, and another trainer, and we could all react to the new food pyramid together, pros and cons. But, you know, the people that I reached out to, the timing just didn't line up. And it's kind of hard to get that many people together at the same time. I should have known that just based on Christmas with a big family. But yes, I just wanted to share a few reflections from some of the past guests and kind of give my two cents on it. And my goal with the episode was not to leave you confused. The new food pyramid is a step in the right direction and it has its flaws, just like every guideline before it. And if I didn't make it clear earlier, here's the bottom line: figure out what works in your body and don't wait for someone else to tell you what to eat. Use the guidelines, but don't outsource your intuition. You know your body. And if you need help figuring that out, I am happy to guide you through the process. That is what I am here for. That is what I do for a living. So please reach out. You guys have my information. Um info at spandexandwine.com is my email. My text line is 913-392-2877. I would love to hear from you. Okay, now go get some chicken and enjoy your protein. Until next time. Cheers. Thank you for listening. If you're enjoying this podcast, be sure to follow Spandex and Wine so you don't miss an episode. To do this, just go to the podcast and click subscribe or follow wherever you are listening. Look for the plus sign or follow button. This is one of the best things that you can do for the podcast. If you'd also be willing to give a five-star review, that would be amazing and much appreciated. Lastly, please share an episode with a friend or five to keep the love going. And join the Spandex and Wine community in our private Facebook group by searching Spandex and Wine. Feel free to reach out to me at any time by emailing info at spandexandwine.com or text me at 913 392 2877. I appreciate you. Thank you.