What are the 5 foods on MyPlate?

The MyPlate visual, created by the USDA in 2011, replaced the classic food pyramid with a simpler, more modern graphic to help Americans eat healthier. It illustrates the five core food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. This easy-to-follow model emphasizes building a balanced plate at every meal and making informed, nutritious food choices.

Quick Summary

MyPlate is a simple visual guide illustrating the five key food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. It promotes balanced eating by showing the optimal proportion of each group for a healthy meal. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, while the other half contains grains and protein, with a side of dairy.

Key Points

• The 5 Food Groups: MyPlate uses a simple visual to represent the five core food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.

• Fill Half Your Plate with Plants: A primary recommendation of MyPlate is to fill half of your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

• Focus on Whole Grains: For the grains portion, aim to make at least half of your choices whole grains, like brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.

• Choose Lean Proteins: The protein section includes both animal and plant-based sources, with an emphasis on choosing lean options.

• Include Dairy: A side serving of dairy, or calcium-fortified alternatives like soy milk, helps build strong bones.

• Balance Your Meal: The MyPlate icon serves as a visual guide for portion sizes, promoting a balanced intake of all five food groups at mealtimes.

Understanding the Five Core Food Groups

MyPlate, the modern-day evolution of dietary guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), simplifies healthy eating into a recognizable and intuitive visual. It divides a dinner plate and an accompanying cup into five food groups, with proportions indicating how much emphasis to place on each. Embracing this model can help ensure you receive a wide spectrum of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body needs for optimal function. From fueling your muscles to bolstering your immune system, each group plays a vital and unique role in overall wellness.

Fruits

The fruits section of MyPlate is typically represented in red and suggests filling one-quarter of your plate with a variety of colorful fruit. This group includes fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruit, as well as 100% fruit juice.

• Why it matters: Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which aids digestion and helps you feel full. Fiber is crucial for maintaining a healthy digestive system and can lower the risk of heart disease. Whole fruits are generally the best choice over fruit juices, which often contain more sugar and calories with less fiber.
• Examples: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, and melons. A side of fruit salad or adding berries to your oatmeal are simple ways to incorporate this group.

Vegetables

The largest section on MyPlate, colored green, is dedicated to vegetables, emphasizing that they should make up another quarter of your meal, working with fruits to fill half the plate. The vegetable group is vast and is broken down into five subgroups based on their nutritional profiles.

• Why it matters: Vegetables are naturally low in calories and fat and rich in a wide array of nutrients. They provide crucial vitamins like A and C, minerals, and antioxidants. The eat the rainbow principle applies here, as different colored vegetables offer different nutritional benefits.
• Examples by subgroup:
  • Dark green: Spinach, broccoli, kale.
  • Red and orange: Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin.
  • Beans, peas, and lentils: Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans.
  • Starchy: Potatoes, corn, green peas.
  • Other: Cauliflower, cucumbers, asparagus.

Grains

The grains section, colored orange, fills one-quarter of the MyPlate icon. It reminds consumers to make at least half of their grain choices whole grains. Grains are a major source of energy for the body.

• Why it matters: Whole grains (like brown rice and whole-wheat bread) contain the entire grain kernel and offer more dietary fiber, iron, and B vitamins than refined grains (white bread, white rice). Fiber in whole grains helps you feel satiated longer and supports a healthy heart.
• Examples: Whole-wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole-wheat pasta.

Protein Foods

The purple portion of the plate is for protein foods, which include both animal-based and plant-based options. This section accounts for the remaining quarter of the plate.

• Why it matters: Proteins are the building blocks of the body, necessary for building and repairing tissues, from muscles to skin. They also contain important vitamins and minerals, including iron. Choosing lean or low-fat options, like fish or poultry, is recommended.
• Examples: Lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, peas, and tofu.

Dairy

The dairy group is represented by a blue circle next to the plate, signifying it as a side item, like a glass of milk or a container of yogurt. It is a key source of calcium and other essential nutrients.

• Why it matters: Dairy products, or fortified dairy alternatives like soy milk, provide calcium for strong bones and teeth, along with protein and vitamin D. Opting for fat-free or low-fat options helps control calorie intake while still gaining nutritional benefits.
• Examples: Milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified soy beverages.

Comparison: MyPlate vs. the Food Pyramid

MyPlate replaced the Food Pyramid in 2011 to provide a clearer, more practical guide to healthy eating. The new model was designed to be simpler and easier to understand, directly representing a meal's composition rather than abstract daily servings.

Feature	MyPlate	Food Pyramid (1992)
Visual Representation	A familiar dinner plate, divided into color-coded sections.	A pyramid with a wide base narrowing to a tip.
Portion Guidance	Visual representation on a single plate for easy portioning per meal.	Advised serving sizes per day, which were often confusing to interpret for individual meals.
Emphasis	Half the plate is dedicated to fruits and vegetables, promoting higher intake of these food groups.	Emphasized grains at the large base, which could be misinterpreted as a signal to eat them in excess.
Oils/Fats	Oils are not a separate food group but mentioned for their essential fatty acids.	Placed fats, oils, and sweets at the very top, indicating to use them sparingly.
Modern Approach	Highly adaptable for diverse meals (e.g., one-dish meals) and personalized dietary needs through online tools.	Less flexible and less equipped for today's diverse eating habits and technology.

Customizing MyPlate for Your Lifestyle

While MyPlate provides a general framework, healthy eating is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your personal nutritional needs depend on factors like age, gender, activity level, and health goals. For instance, someone with a very active lifestyle will require more calories and may need more grains for energy than someone who is sedentary. Similarly, individuals with specific health conditions or dietary preferences, such as vegetarianism, can easily adapt the MyPlate model. The key is to think of the plate as a template for building balanced meals throughout the day, not every meal has to be a perfect plate. For a personalized plan, the USDA offers an online tool on its website, MyPlate.gov, where you can get recommendations based on your unique needs.

Beyond the Plate: Other Healthy Eating Considerations

MyPlate is an excellent starting point, but other factors contribute to a healthy diet. The visual guide doesn't provide specific guidance on healthy versus unhealthy options within each group or what to do about snacks, which is why it has received some criticism. To make the most of MyPlate, remember to:

• Choose wisely: Opt for whole fruits over juice, whole grains over refined, and lean proteins over high-fat options.
• Limit unhealthy fats and sugars: Be mindful of added sugars and saturated fats, often found in processed foods and sugary drinks, which are not explicitly addressed on the MyPlate icon.
• Control sodium: High sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, so it's important to choose lower-sodium options.
• Stay hydrated: The visual doesn't include oils or water, but drinking plenty of water is essential for your body's functions.

Conclusion

Understanding what are the 5 foods on MyPlate is a foundational step toward a healthier lifestyle. The model's simple visual provides a clear, actionable guide for creating balanced and nutritious meals. By filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, one-quarter with grains (ideally whole), and one-quarter with protein, alongside a side of dairy, you can ensure a well-rounded diet. While it's a simplification of complex dietary science, MyPlate offers an accessible framework for making better daily food choices. Adopting these principles, along with staying mindful of healthy fats and hydration, empowers you to take charge of your health through smart, balanced eating.

For more information on developing a personalized plan and exploring healthy recipes based on these guidelines, you can visit the official MyPlate website at https://www.myplate.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary visual difference between MyPlate and the old Food Pyramid?

MyPlate uses a modern, familiar image of a dinner plate and a glass to visually represent the five food groups, while the Food Pyramid used a pyramid shape with layers to show proportions.

Are beans considered a vegetable or a protein on MyPlate?

Beans, peas, and lentils are unique because they belong to two food groups: the vegetable group and the protein group.

Does MyPlate offer personalized recommendations?

Yes, the official MyPlate.gov website offers a personalized plan based on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.

Why does MyPlate emphasize whole grains over refined grains?

Whole grains contain more dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains, helping you feel full longer and supporting better health.

Where does water fit into the MyPlate guidelines?

While not on the plate itself, the overall MyPlate guidance encourages drinking water instead of sugary drinks, and staying hydrated is essential for health.

Can vegetarians and vegans use MyPlate?

Yes, the MyPlate guidelines are easily adaptable for vegetarians and vegans, as the protein group includes plant-based sources like beans, nuts, and tofu, and the dairy group includes fortified alternatives like soy milk.

How can I apply MyPlate to one-dish meals like casseroles or stews?

For one-dish meals, you can mentally estimate the proportions: aim for half the ingredients to be fruits and vegetables, and divide the other half between grains and protein.