MyPlate

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The MyPlate food guide icon USDA MyPlate green.svg
The MyPlate food guide icon

MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, and serves as a recommendation based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [1] It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, ending 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams. MyPlate is displayed on food packaging and used in nutrition education in the United States. The graphic depicts a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups that are recommended parts of a healthy diet. This dietary recommendation combines an organized amount of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. [2] It is designed as a guideline for Americans to base their plate around in order to make educated food choices. ChooseMyPlate.gov shows individuals the variety of these five subgroups based on their activity levels and personal characteristics. [3]

Contents

Background

MyPlate is the latest nutrition guide from the USDA. The USDA's first dietary guidelines were published in 1894 by Wilbur Olin Atwater as a farmers' bulletin. [4] Since then, the USDA has provided a variety of nutrition guides for the public, including the Basic 7 (1943–1956), the Basic Four (1956–1992), the Food Guide Pyramid (1992–2005), and MyPyramid (2005–2013). MyPlate was established by the USDA in 2011 to combine the recommendations of these past nutrition guides into a graphic that was easy to read. [5]

Many other governments and organizations have created nutrition guides. Some, like the United Kingdom's Eatwell Plate, [6] the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating , [7] and the American Diabetes Association's Create Your Plate system, [8] also use plate diagrams.

In December 2018, the USDA released plans to modify the MyPlate limits on milk, sodium, school breakfast, and school lunch options. [9] [10] Current nutritional research continues to make new daily intake recommendations which the USDA has been adding to newer modifications of MyPlate. [11]

The USDA MyPlate layout of food groups and the recommended options for each category USDA my plate.png
The USDA MyPlate layout of food groups and the recommended options for each category

Guidelines

MyPlate is divided into four 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 an additional recommendations, such as "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables", "Switch to 1% or skim milk", "Make at least half your grains whole", and "Vary your protein food choices." [12] The guidelines also recommend portion control while still enjoying food, as well as reductions in sodium and sugar intakes. [11]

"Make half your plate fruits and vegetables" is one of the main recommendations presented through MyPlate's design. Many Americans fail to consume the proper number of fruits and vegetables or do not incorporate a variety of this particular food group.[ citation needed ] The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommends increasing fruits and vegetable consumption due to the associated health benefits. [13] Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, dietary fibers, and folate. [14] These nutrients are further linked with health benefits such as protecting against a variety of diseases, promoting healthy aging, and lowering the risk of certain cancers. [15] These prominent health benefits associated with fruits and vegetables explain the emphasis by MyPlate for making this food group take it half of one's plate.

MyPlate focuses primarily on the addition of fruits and vegetables, into a diet due to the nutritional benefits associated with these food groups. This nutritional recommendation suggests including a variety of both of these food groups in order to gain maximum levels of nutrients. MyPlate suggests choosing from a mix of different colors of fruits and vegetables in order to maximize the intake of vitamins and minerals. [2]

In unveiling MyPlate, First Lady Michelle Obama said, "Parents don't have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of chicken or to look up how much rice or broccoli is in a serving. ... But we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates. ... And as long as they're eating proper portions, as long as half of their meal is fruits and vegetables alongside their lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, then we're good. It's as simple as that." [16]

Michelle Obama's and her Let’sMove! Initiative have targeted the MyPlate icon as a positive nutritional guideline to help reduce national obesity trends. The Let’sMove Initiative has the main goal of creating a healthy life for children in order to produce a healthier population in the future. Michelle Obama's initiative has chosen to promote MyPlate and ChooseMyPlate.gov in order to help pursue the overall goal of lessening nation-wide obesity. [17]

National strategic partners

The USDA has created partnerships with a number of organizations to help promote the messages of MyPlate and spread the reach as far and wide as possible. These partners consist of companies and organizations national in scope and reach that have agreed to "promote nutrition content in the context of the entirety of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans". [18] These companies most follow the mission stated by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and participate in sessions that are focused on nutritional planning techniques. The USDA has the support of numerous national partners with emphasis on grocery retailers, healthcare companies, and food chains. [18]

Criticism and controversy

MyPlate was widely received as an improvement on the previous MyPyramid icon, which had been criticized as too abstract and confusing. [19] [20] [21] The 50-percent emphasis on fruits and vegetables, as well as the simplicity and understandability of the plate image, were particularly praised. The Food Pyramid was not a strong guideline considering many individuals struggled incorporating it into their daily life. Many details such as the recommended daily intake were left out of this nutritional guideline which confused the general population. [22] MyPlate was the revised version with a visual that made the recommendations very clear and easy to understand.

Although MyPlate implements might contain dietary guidelines that are nutritional beneficial, it has occasional disadvantages. The guidelines fail to explain plate size, include snack recommendations, or give examples of healthy foods for each category. [22]

Some critics said the protein section is unnecessary, given that protein is available from other food groups, and Americans on average already eat enough; however, meat would not fit in any of the other food groups. The dairy section was criticized by some as similarly dispensable. An additional critique was that the icon is too simple, missing opportunities for additional dietary advice, such as distinctions between healthy and unhealthy proteins or guidance on good fats and bad fats. [19] [23]

Reason magazine stated in an article from December 2022 that, "The federal government continues to be very bad at telling people what and how to eat" and further criticized the MyPlate program as also being poorly marketed in that fewer than three out of four polled Americans were aware of the program. [24]

The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) released their own adjusted and more detailed version of MyPlate, called the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid, in response. [25] The Healthy Eating Pyramid was suggested as an alternative to MyPlate that is more up-to-date with scientific nutritional findings. Harvard's plate features a higher ratio of vegetables to fruits, adds healthy oils to the recommendation, and balances healthy (type of) protein and whole grains as equal quarters of the plate, along with recommending water and suggesting sparing dairy consumption. [26] HSPH Chair of the Department of Nutrition, Walter Willett, criticized MyPlate, saying: "unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating". [27] The Harvard plate also contains a recommendation for physical activity which MyPlate tends to leave out. This more refined nutritional guideline states a more exact protocol to follow in regards to the consumption of fats and grains with an individual's specific weight and workout routine in mind.

Harvard Medical School also pushes for the inclusion of water in their nutritional guidelines. [26] MyPlate recommends the consumption of milk or some form of dairy without explicitly encouraging drinking water. The Healthy Eating Pyramid has included a section to their plate that focuses on adding water or non-sugar beverages to one's daily intake. [26]

According to Marion Nestle, former chair of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, "There’s a great deal of money at stake in what these guidelines say." [28] Talking about her work as an U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and USDA expert, she said "I was told we could never say ‘eat less meat’ because USDA would not allow it." [28]

MyPlate guidelines translated into Spanish Spmyplate green.png
MyPlate guidelines translated into Spanish

MyPlate Expansion

Starting in 2021, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has broadened its reach to target more of the general population rather than keeping its focus audience in America. The MyPlate icon has been translated into eighteen different languages in order to encourage the eating habits of individuals around the world. [29] There are now icons and informational sheets in a variety of Asian languages as well as Spanish. [30] MiPlato is a version of the MyPlate guidelines that is translated in order to be understood by a broader range of the population. [5] This along with the broadening of MyPlate's social media accounts has expanded the MyPlate influence across many platforms. CNPP has been working to broaden these resources for health professionals and interested individuals. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food pyramid (nutrition)</span> Visual representation of optimal servings from basic groups

A food pyramid is a representation of the optimal number of servings to be eaten each day from each of the basic food groups. The first pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The 1992 pyramid introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was called the "Food Guide Pyramid" or "Eating Right Pyramid". It was updated in 2005 to "MyPyramid", and then it was replaced by "MyPlate" in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy eating pyramid</span> Nutrition guide developed by the Harvard School of Public Health

The Healthy Eating Pyramid is a nutrition guide developed by the Harvard School of Public Health, suggesting quantities of each food category that a human should eat each day. The healthy eating pyramid is intended to provide a more sound eating guide than the widespread food guide pyramid created by the USDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy diet</span> Type of diet

A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy.

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, created on December 1, 1994, to improve the health and well-being of Americans by establishing national dietary guidelines based on the best science available. CNPP promotes dietary guidance by linking scientific research to the nutritional needs of the American public through the function of USDA's Nutrition Evidence Library, which it created and manages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School meal</span> Meal provided to students at school

A school meal is a meal provided to students and sometimes teachers at a school, typically in the middle or beginning of the school day. Countries around the world offer various kinds of school meal programs, and altogether, these are among the world's largest social safety nets. An estimated 380 million school children around the world receive meals at their respective schools. The extent of school feeding coverage varies from country to country, and as of 2020, the aggregate coverage rate worldwide is estimated to be 27%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food group</span> Collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications

A food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Lists of nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups, and Recommended Dietary Allowance recommends daily servings of each group for a healthy diet. In the United States for instance, the USDA has described food as being in from 4 to 11 different groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serving size</span> Amount of a food or drink that is typically served

A serving size or portion size is the amount of a food or drink that is generally served.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food policy</span> Area of public policy

Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased, or provided. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system balanced with ensuring human health needs. This often includes decision-making around production and processing techniques, marketing, availability, utilization, and consumption of food, in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policy can be promulgated on any level, from local to global, and by a government agency, business, or organization. Food policymakers engage in activities such as regulation of food-related industries, establishing eligibility standards for food assistance programs for the poor, ensuring safety of the food supply, food labeling, and even the qualifications of a product to be considered organic.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or the DASH diet is a diet to control hypertension promoted by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. It includes meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and beans, and is limited in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, red meat, and added fats. In addition to its effect on blood pressure, it is designed to be a well-balanced approach to eating for the general public. DASH is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a healthy eating plan. The DASH diet is one of three healthy diets recommended in the 2015–20 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which also include the Mediterranean diet and a vegetarian diet. The American Heart Association (AHA) considers the DASH diet "specific and well-documented across age, sex and ethnically diverse groups."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetarian Diet Pyramid</span> Nutrition guide for a healthy vegetarian diet

Vegetarian Diet Pyramid is a nutrition guide that represents a traditional healthy vegetarian diet. Variations of this traditional healthy vegetarian diet exist throughout the world, particularly in parts of North America, Europe, South America and, most notably, Asia. Given these carefully defined parameters, the phrase "Traditional Vegetarian Diet" is used here to represent the healthy traditional ovo-lacto vegetarian diets of these regions and peoples. A pyramid was created by Oldways Preservation Trust in 1998 with scientific research from Cornell and Harvard University and specific reference to the healthy patterns of eating demonstrated by the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western pattern diet</span> Modern dietary pattern

The Western pattern diet is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of pre-packaged foods, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, high-sugar drinks, candy and sweets, fried foods, industrially produced animal products, butter and other high-fat dairy products, eggs, potatoes, corn, and low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasture-raised animal products, fish, nuts, and seeds.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide nutritional advice for Americans who are healthy or who are at risk for chronic disease but do not currently have chronic disease. The Guidelines are published every five years by the US Department of Agriculture, together with the US Department of Health and Human Services. Notably, the most recent ninth edition for 2020–25 includes dietary guidelines for children from birth to 23 months. In addition to the Dietary Guidelines per se, there are additional tools for assessing diet and nutrition, including the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which can be used to assess the quality of a given selection of foods in the context of the Dietary Guidelines. Also provided are additional explanations regarding customization of the Guidelines to individual eating preferences, application of the Guidelines during pregnancy and infancy, the USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review, information about the Nutrition Communicators Network and the MyPlate initiative, information from the National Academies about redesigning the process by which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are created, and information about dietary guidelines from other nations.

Fruits & Veggies – More Matters is a national public health initiative from Produce for Better Health Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This campaign, begun in 2007, took the place of the 5 A Day program. The shift was implemented in order to better communicate updated dietary guidelines, which recommended more than five servings of fruits and vegetables for some Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Move!</span> Public health campaign in the United States

Let's Move! was a public health campaign in the United States led by former First Lady Michelle Obama. The campaign aimed to reduce childhood obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle in children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010</span> Federal statute

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2010. The law is part of the reauthorization of funding for child nutrition. It funded child nutrition programs and free lunch programs in schools for 5 years. In addition, the law set new nutrition standards for schools, and allocated $4.5 billion for their implementation. The new nutrition standards were a centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity. In FY 2011, federal spending totaled $10.1 billion for the National School Lunch Program. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Michelle Obama were a step in transforming the food pyramid recommendation, which has been around since the early 1990s, into what is now known as "MyPlate".

Nutrition education is a combination of learning experiences designed to teach individuals or groups about the principles of a balanced diet, the importance of various nutrients, how to make healthy food choices, and how both dietary and exercise habits can affect overall well-being. It includes a combination of educational strategies, accompanied by environmental supports, designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to well-being. Nutrition education is delivered through multiple venues and involves activities at the individual, community, and policy levels. Nutrition Education also critically looks at issues such as food security, food literacy, and food sustainability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyPyramid</span> Nutrition guide

MyPyramid, released by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion on April 19, 2005, was an update on the earlier American food guide pyramid. It was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate replaced it. The icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups in one's diet. As part of the MyPyramid food guidance system, consumers were asked to visit the MyPyramid website for personalized nutrition information. Significant changes from the previous food pyramid include:

The Childhood Obesity Task Force is a United States Government task force charged with reducing childhood obesity in the United States. It was founded on February 9, 2010, by the Obama Administration through a Presidential Memorandum, announcing the establishment of a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. The Task Force aims to develop a plan to reduce childhood obesity. In the announcement, President Barack Obama highlighted the statistics on childhood obesity in the United States and outlined the steps that this new task force would be taking to end childhood obesity. Section 1 of the Memorandum states:

There is established a Task Force on Childhood Obesity to develop an interagency action plan to solve the problem of obesity among our Nation's children within a generation. The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall serve as Chair of the Task Force.

The history of USDA nutrition guidelines includes over 100 years of nutrition advice promulgated by the USDA. The guidelines have been updated over time, to adopt new scientific findings and new public health marketing techniques. The current guidelines are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. The 2015–2020 guidelines were criticized as not accurately representing scientific information about optimal nutrition, and as being overly influenced by the agricultural industries the USDA promotes.

References

  1. ↑ "Dietary Guidelines for Americans". 2015-12-14. doi: 10.1377/hpb20151214.174872 .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. 1 2 "Back to Basics: All About MyPlate Food Groups". www.usda.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  3. ↑ "Tools | MyPlate". www.myplate.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  4. ↑ "Dietary Recommendations and How They Have Changed Over Time". America's Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences. United States Department of Agriculture. May 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Evolution of USDA Food Guides to Today's MyPlate". Riley Children's Health. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  6. ↑ "The eatwell plate". National Health Service. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating - Enjoy a Variety of Foods Every Day". Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Create Your Plate". American Diabetes Association. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "USDA Publishes School Meals Final Rule | Food and Nutrition Service". www.fns.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-12-07.
  10. ↑ Hohman, Maura (December 7, 2018). "USDA Rolls Back Michelle Obama's School Lunch Regulations, Allowing More Salt and Fat". people.com.
  11. 1 2 "USDA's MyPlate". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "Let's eat for the health of it" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "2010 Dietary Guidelines Released". Food and Health Communications. 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  14. ↑ "Fruits & Veggies – More Matters! | HealthySD.gov". healthysd.gov. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  15. ↑ Jayawardena, Ranil; Sooriyaarachchi, Piumika; Punchihewa, Pavani; Lokunarangoda, Niroshan; Kirthi Pathirana, Anidu (2019). "Effects of "plate model" as a part of dietary intervention for rehabilitation following myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled trial". Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. 9 (2): 179–188. doi: 10.21037/cdt.2019.03.04 . PMC   6511685 . PMID   31143640.
  16. ↑ Sweet, Lynn (2 June 2011). "Michelle Obama hypes icon switch: Bye food pyramid, hello food plate. Transcript". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  17. ↑ "First Lady, Agriculture Secretary Launch MyPlate Icon as a New Reminder to Help Consumers to Make Healthier Food Choices | Food and Nutrition Service". www.fns.usda.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  18. 1 2 "USDA MyPlate National Strategic Partners". ChooseMyPlate.gov. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  19. 1 2 Carman, Tim (2 June 2011). "Michelle Obama and USDA unveil nutritional plate icon". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  20. ↑ Hellmich, Nanci (3 June 2011). "USDA serves nutrition guidelines on 'My Plate". USA Today. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  21. ↑ "Pyramid tossed, dinner plate is new U.S. meals plan". Reuters. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  22. 1 2 "A Detailed Guide to Using MyPlate Plus Food Lists, and a 7-Day Meal Plan". EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  23. ↑ Kotz, Deborah (2 June 2011). "New food plate icon: will it change how you eat?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  24. ↑ Linnekin, Baylen (10 December 2022). "'MyPlate,' the USDA's 'Food Pyramid' Replacement, Is Also a Dud". Reason. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "Healthy Eating Plate". The Nutrition Source. 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  26. 1 2 3 "Comparison of the Healthy Eating Plate and the USDA's MyPlate". Harvard Health. 2011-09-13. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  27. ↑ Datz, Todd (14 September 2011). "Harvard serves up its own 'Plate'". Harvard Gazette. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  28. 1 2 Heid, Markham (8 January 2016). "Experts Say Lobbying Skewed the U.S. Dietary Guidelines". Time. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  29. 1 2 "MyPlate Broadens its Reach". www.usda.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  30. ↑ "MyPlate Graphics | MyPlate". www.myplate.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
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