Review Date 4/14 G-1522

Making Sense of MyPlateUsing USDA’s

ChooseMyPlate as a Guide to Healthful Eating

Provided Courtesy of Nutrition411.com

Why Use MyPlate?

• MyPlate is an easy-to-use, visual food guide that helps put the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into practice

• The dietary guidelines and MyPlate work together to help Americans make healthy food choices

• Dietary recommendations for health promotion and chronic disease prevention

• Based on Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report and public comments

• For policy makers and health professionals

• Available at: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Provides general health information based on scientific research

• Does not provide specific food intake guidelines

• Refers readers to specific food guides, such as MyPlate, for information on food groups and serving sizes

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (cont’d)

1940

s

1950s-

1960s

1970

s

1992

2005

Food for Children

1916

2011

History of USDA’s Food Guidance System

• Simplifies the way Americans should eat• Provides a clear visual cue• Gives consumers a fast, easy-to-grasp

reminder of the basics of a healthy diet

Why Change From a Pyramid to a Plate?

2010 Dietary Guidelines:• Designed to help Americans

make better food choices by balancing calories and increasing consumption of healthy foods

MyPlate graphic: • Illustrates the five food

groups in an easy-to-understand plate

Message to Consumers: Eat Healthfully

MyPlate Illustrates the Five Food Groups

• The familiar plate is a simple reminder for Americans to make better choices

• The easy-to-remember visual cue provides a way to control portion sizes

Benefits of MyPlate

1. Balancing calories:− Enjoy your food, but eat less− Avoid oversized portions

2. Foods to increase:− Make one-half of your plate fruits and vegetables− Choose at least one-half of your grains from whole grains− Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk

3. Foods to reduce:− Compare sodium in foods, such as soups, breads, and frozen meals, choosing the foods with lower

numbers− Drink water instead of sugary drinks

MyPlate: Key Messages for Consumers

•The amount of grains that you need depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity

•Generally, men and women need between 6 to 8 ounces (oz) of grains every day

•1 oz is about one slice of bread, 1 cup (C) of breakfast cereal, or ½ C of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta

•Key message: Make at least one-half of your grains whole grains

Grains Group

Vegetables Group

•Eat more dark green vegetables—broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens

•Consume more orange vegetables—carrots and sweet potatoes

• Include more dry beans and peas—pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils

•Generally, men and women should consume 2½ C every day

•Key message: Make one-half of your plate fruits and vegetables

•Eat a variety of fruit•Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit•Go easy on fruit juices•Try to consume 2 C of fruit every day•Key message: Make one-half of your plate fruits and vegetables

Fruit Group

Dairy Group

• Includes all fluid milk products and many foods made from milk

•Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and other milk products

• If you do not or cannot consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources, such as fortified foods and beverages

•Consume 2½ C to 3 C every day (depends on age)•Key message: Make one-half of your plate fruits and vegetables

Protein Group

• Includes all foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds

•Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry•Bake it, broil it, grill it•Vary your protein routine—choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

•Generally, men and women need 5½ to 6 oz every day

• Get most of your fat from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils

• Limit solid fats (butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard) and fried foods that contain them

• Check Nutrition Facts labels to keep saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium low

• Choose foods/beverages low in added sugars—they contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients

Know the Limits on Fats, Sugar, and Sodium

• Stay within your daily calorie needs• Keep physically active for 30 minutes most

days of the week• Know that you may need about 60 minutes

a day of physical activity to prevent weight gain

• Understand that you may need 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity to sustain weight loss

• Help children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity every day or most days

Balance Between Food and Physical Exercise

• To learn about the food groups

• To find out how much of different foods you should eat

• To help track your food intake online

• As a simple reminder of how your plate should look at mealtimes

When to Use MyPlate