Simple Food Plate Replaces Complex Pyramid

The old food guide pyramid was difficult to understand and extremely complicated. But, now there's something that's not only simpler to understand and healthier!

First Lady Michelle Obama and colleagues joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to come up with an easier way to choose healthier food in the right amounts.

MyPlate is a new, easy-to-understand image that shows half of your plate should contain fruits and vegetables. It serves as a simple reminder for people to make better choices by showing what a plate should look like when choosing healthier foods.

MyPlate shows that half your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

The revolutionary MyPlate is replacing the Food Guide Pyramid. Instead of telling us what kinds of food and the different amounts, MyPlate simplifies everything by showing us.

As long as half of your plate consists of fruits and vegetables then you’re headed down the road toward a healthy diet. The other half should contain items from the protein (lean meats, beans, soy) and dairy (milk) groups. And this new symbol provides more than just information; it allows families to take practical steps to having healthier eating habits.

MyPlate enables us to judge foods and portion sizes quickly so that we can spend more time enjoying our lives and not worrying about being healthy. The new method focuses on making better decisions by choosing half the plate of plant-based foods. This will help all of America become a healthier fit nation.

ChooseMyPlate.gov provides daily tips and tools to encourage Americans to lead healthy lifestyles.