‘MyPlate’ Provides Visual Guide To Good Eating Habits

By Nancy K. Crevier

As of this month, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid has been toppled, making way for the new, highly simplified healthy eating reminder, the MyPlate concept.

In a press release dated June 2, First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, “to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times, and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy food groups.”

The icon features a circular white plate divided into four portions. The largest portion is a bright green triangle in the lower left quadrant dedicated to vegetables. Combined with the red triangle, fruits, located above it, the two food categories make up half of the plate.

Grains occupy the upper right quadrant of the plate, with the lower and smaller triangle below it labeled for protein. Off to the side of the dinner plate is a small side plate, for dairy.

According to Secretary Vilsack, “MyPlate is an uncomplicated symbol to help remind people to think about their food choices in order to lead healthier lifestyles. This effort is about more than just giving information, it is a matter of making people understand there are options and practical ways to apply them to their daily lives.”

The symbol is simple and the message accompanying it at ChooseMyPlate.gov is clear: Balance calories; increase fruits, vegetables, and low fat milk, as well as whole grains; and reduce salt intake and that of sugary drinks.

Since the early part of the 20th Century, the United States Department of Agriculture has been instrumental in steering American’s eating habits, through the many food guides it has pressed into publication. Beginning with the subtle “Food for Young Children” and “How to Select Food” issued from 1916 to 1930, to the Basic Four Daily Food Guide most adults today will recall from home economics classes taken between 1956 to 1970, to the modern Food Pyramid that appeared in 1992, the USDA has sought to improve the American diet.

Those food guides have been tweaked or tossed aside over the years, as more scientific evidence has come to light, making obsolete the information once thought to be irrefutable.

The Basic Four Food Groups in the mid-1900s featured the milk, meat, vegetable/fruit, and bread/cereal group. A few guidelines for quantities appeared within the milk group, but serving sizes for the other groups were not designated.

In 1979, a fifth group supplemented the Basic Four, highlighting the need to moderate fat, sweets, and alcohol intake. The Food Wheel, the first “total diet” approach, appeared in 1984 and served as the basis for the 1992 Food Pyramid. Five food groups, as well as suggested daily amounts to be consumed, were included in the Food Wheel.

The next total diet approach, the Food Guide Pyramid, added “visualization” of added fats and sugars, and a range for daily amounts of the foods across three caloric levels. An updated MyPyramid was the 2005 food guide that featured a less complex illustration than the original pyramid, and introduced the USDA MyPyramid website. This was also the first food guide to include suggestions for physical activity that affected food intake.

At ChooseMyPlate.gov, people can select a personalized plan by going to the Interactive Tools link. There, they will also find a food planner and food tracker, access to food information, and food plans for preschoolers and mothers.

Detailed information about the food groups can be found by clicking on the desired portion of the dinner plate, including tips, portion control information, and recipes. Visitors to the website will also find information on oils, empty calories, and the importance of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle.

Linda Jones, MS, RD, a nutritional therapist with offices in Connecticut and New York, is pleased with the reworked food guide issued June 2. “I am glad to see the new guidelines are designed in a visual representation of what a meal ideally would be like — half fruit and vegetables, and smaller portions of meat/protein and starch. This type of plan for eating healthy is easy to understand and simple, especially since they use a plate as a visual guide. Unfortunately, obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed under the food pyramid model and most people did not really understand how to use it,” she said.

Ms Jones noted the similarity between the Basic Four of the 1970s and today’s MyPlate, but with the visual cues that show what a filled dinner plate should look like. “The new diagram cuts back the emphasis on grains in favor of more vegetables and fruits. The fats, oils, and sweets group that previously was at the top of the pyramid has disappeared all together. There is more emphasis on portion control in this guide. The MyPlate provides a foundation to build a healthy eating plan,” said Ms Jones, “but individuals with special dietary needs may require additional support.” A registered dietician (RD) can assist in tailoring meals for the individual, she said.

“MyPlate will replace the MyPyramid image as the government’s primary food group symbol as an easy-to-understand visual cue to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” according to the June 2 press release. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, launched in January of this year, form the basis of the federal government’s nutrition education programs, federal nutrition assistance programs, and dietary advice provided by health and nutrition professionals. Updated information that reflects the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the general population, pregnant women, and those concerned with losing weight are included at the ChooseMyPlate website, while children’s food guidelines are still being updated.

The USDA will utilize Twitter to see how consumers are accepting MyPlate. Photos of real meal plates can be shared on Twitter at #MyPlate.