WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – If you consume wine and coffee or eat chocolates on a regular basis, you no longer need to feel guilty about it.

In a stunning announcement today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reclassified wine as fruit and coffee and chocolate as vegetables. This means that it will now be much easier for Americans to follow the government’s nutritional guide, MyPlate, released in June, 2011.

MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the USDA — a pie chart depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA’s MyPyramid guide, ending 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams.

MyPlate is divided into sections of approximately 30 percent grains, 40 percent vegetables, 10 percent fruits and 20 percent protein, accompanied by a smaller circle representing dairy, such as a glass of milk or a yogurt cup.

MyPlate is supplemented with additional recommendations, such as “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.”

USDA says that it just makes sense to classify wine as fruit since it comes from grapes, and to consider both coffee and chocolate as vegetables because they come from plants.

For many years now, consumers have been barraged with studies and news articles about the health benefits of wine, coffee and chocolate. The USDA announcement should not come as a surprise.

Here’s to a healthier, fun diet!