MyPlate Meal Planner

The MyPlate Plan is a nutrition guide created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help people choose healthy, balanced meals.

In 2011, MyPlate replaced the Food Pyramid.

Unlike the pyramid, MyPlate uses a plate graphic to represent meal proportions, making it more intuitive and easier to visualize.

It shows the five major food groups on a plate and provides personalized recommendations based on a person’s age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.

The goal is to promote better dietary choices for overall health and to help prevent diet-related diseases.

The MyPlate Plan Calculator

How to use the MyPlate Plan

1. Five Food Groups: The plate is divided into sections representing the five food groups:
   • Fruits: Focus on whole fruits rather than plain juices.
   • Vegetables: Diversify your veggies, including dark green, red, orange, starchy, and legumes (beans and peas).
   • Grains: Make half your Carbs whole grains (e.g., brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread).
   • Protein: Choose lean protein sources such as poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds.
   • Dairy: Include low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or other calcium-rich dairy alternatives like soy milk.
2. Proportions:
   • Half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables.
   • A little over one-quarter should be grains, with the rest being protein.
   • A serving of dairy is typically on the side.

For a detailed and complete explanation of the food groups and how MyPlate works, please visit this page full of resources by the USDA (“Print Resources | MyPlate,” 2020)

Limitations

While MyPlate is a practical tool, please do keep in mind the following limitations that it possesses:

It is oversimplified and doesn’t address specific food preparation methods, cultural differences, or food quality (e.g., fresh vs. processed).

MyPlate focuses on individual meals rather than considering dietary patterns over a day or week. The recommendation for dairy has been questioned, particularly for those lactose intolerant or following plant-based diets.