The Predecessors: From Basic Four to Confusing Pyramids
The creation of MyPlate was not an isolated event but the latest evolution in a long history of US dietary guidance. For decades, the USDA has released guidance in various formats to help Americans understand and apply nutritional recommendations. In the mid-20th century, the 'Basic Four' food groups served as a simple guide, but as nutritional science advanced, so did the complexity of the dietary messages.
The 1992 Food Guide Pyramid: A Step Toward Complexity
The 1992 Food Guide Pyramid was designed to visually convey proportionality, with the widest section at the base representing foods to eat most often (grains) and the narrow tip representing those to eat sparingly (fats, oils, sweets). While well-intentioned, the pyramid had several drawbacks:
- Difficult to interpret: The tiered, horizontal layers were not intuitive. The concept of 'servings' was often confusing to the public, and it did not translate easily to a typical meal plate.
- Lacked visual context: The pyramid did not visually connect to the act of eating a meal, making it abstract and less practical for daily application.
- Static image: The pyramid was a static graphic that required significant interpretation and separate educational materials to be fully understood.
The 2005 MyPyramid: An Abstract Evolution
The 2005 MyPyramid attempted to address some of the previous version's issues by using vertical, colored stripes to represent the different food groups and a figure climbing stairs to represent physical activity. However, this revision was largely seen as more abstract and less clear than its predecessor. It lacked clear labels and concrete serving suggestions, leaving many consumers more confused than before. It was often displayed without the illustrative food images, making it an even more abstract design.
The Call for Simplicity: Why was the MyPlate created?
The creation of MyPlate in 2011 was a direct response to the shortcomings of the previous food guides. Several key factors drove the decision by the USDA, under the direction of First Lady Michelle Obama, to develop a new, more effective symbol.
The White House Childhood Obesity Task Force
A 2010 report from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity explicitly challenged the USDA to design a new, modern symbol. The goal was to inspire consumers, including children, to choose healthier foods in a way that was more direct and easier to understand than the pyramids. The task force highlighted the urgent need for clearer communication regarding dietary guidelines to combat rising public health concerns.
A Familiar and Intuitive Symbol: The Plate
The genius of MyPlate lies in its simplicity and familiarity. The plate is a universal symbol for a meal, and presenting food guidance in this context made the information immediately relatable and actionable for consumers. The graphic is divided into four sections—Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, and Protein—with a side circle for Dairy, reflecting the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans in a single glance. This visual format eliminated the need for complex interpretation or memorizing serving sizes for daily meals.
Key Principles of MyPlate
MyPlate's design reinforces several easy-to-follow principles:
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables: This emphasizes the importance of these nutrient-dense foods in a balanced diet.
- Focus on whole fruits: The guidance encourages choosing whole fruits over fruit juices to benefit from fiber and other nutrients.
- Vary your veggies: This promotes eating a wide variety of vegetables to ensure a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
- Make half your grains whole grains: This simple rule helps people increase their intake of fiber and other important nutrients.
- Vary your protein routine: The protein group includes not only meat but also seafood, beans, and nuts, encouraging diversity.
- Move to low-fat or fat-free dairy: This encourages healthier dairy choices.
MyPlate vs. MyPyramid: A Clearer Picture
To fully appreciate why was the MyPlate created, it's helpful to compare it directly to its predecessor, MyPyramid. The shift represents a fundamental change in communication strategy.
| Feature | MyPyramid (2005) | MyPlate (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Representation | Abstract pyramid with vertical, colored stripes. | Simple, familiar plate and cup graphic divided into four food sections and a dairy cup. |
| Ease of Understanding | Confusing and difficult for many to translate to everyday meals due to abstract design. | Immediately intuitive and directly applicable to daily meal planning. |
| Focus | Primarily focused on portion proportionality within an abstract pyramid, requiring further explanation. | Focuses on building a balanced meal at a glance, making it a practical tool for consumers. |
| Call to Action | Included an image of a person running up stairs to signify physical activity, but this was often omitted and was not the primary focus. | Directly prompts consumers to "make half your plate fruits and vegetables" and other simple, specific actions. |
| Key Message | Emphasized general principles of variety, proportionality, and moderation through a non-food-specific graphic. | Clearly communicates the importance of eating from five distinct food groups in relative proportions for each meal. |
The Impact and Continued Evolution of MyPlate
Since its launch, MyPlate has served as a powerful tool for nutrition education. Its straightforward design has made it easier for people of all ages to grasp the concept of a balanced meal. The official MyPlate website provides a wealth of interactive tools and resources, including the "MyPlate Plan" for personalized eating plans, healthy recipes, and budget-friendly shopping tips. This online ecosystem extends the guidance beyond a simple image, empowering consumers with practical support.
The creation of MyPlate was a significant step forward in public health communication, moving away from complex scientific models towards a simple, practical, and everyday visual cue. It acknowledges that effective dietary guidance must be easy to understand and apply in real-world scenarios. By focusing on the familiar image of a plate, the USDA successfully created a tool that prompts consumers to think about what they are eating at every meal, promoting healthier habits one bite at a time. The evolution of dietary guidelines will continue, but MyPlate has set a new standard for accessible and intuitive nutritional education.
For more resources and to create a personalized eating plan, visit the official MyPlate website: MyPlate.gov.
Conclusion
The shift from MyPyramid to MyPlate was driven by the necessity for clearer, more accessible, and actionable nutritional guidance. The MyPyramid's abstract nature proved confusing for the general public, prompting the USDA to devise a simpler, more intuitive symbol. MyPlate, based on the familiar image of a plate, successfully communicates the core principles of the Dietary Guidelines in a practical, meal-focused context. Its creation was a deliberate move to simplify healthy eating, empowering consumers with a visually powerful and easy-to-understand tool to make better food choices at every meal.
