What is replacing MyPlate?: The Evolving Landscape of Nutrition Diet Guidelines

October 13, 2025 •

3 min read

In recent years, the shutdown of the popular Livestrong MyPlate calorie-counting app has led to public confusion, with many mistakenly believing that the official USDA dietary model was gone with it. In reality, the USDA’s MyPlate icon and guidelines are still in use, but a closer look at what is replacing MyPlate reveals a vibrant landscape of more specific, scientifically-driven alternatives from independent health organizations.

Quick Summary

Despite the USDA's MyPlate being an active dietary model, its perceived shortcomings have led to the creation of several science-backed alternatives. This article explores prominent models like Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate and the AICR's New American Plate, detailing their differences and specific recommendations to guide more informed dietary choices.

Key Points

MyPlate is not replaced by the government: The USDA's MyPlate icon and guidelines remain the official US dietary model, but independent alternatives offer more specific guidance.
A MyPlate app was discontinued: Public confusion over MyPlate’s status often stems from the closure of a third-party app, not the dietary recommendations themselves.
Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate provides specific details: This alternative emphasizes whole grains, healthy fats, and prioritizes water over dairy, addressing criticisms of MyPlate's vagueness.
The New American Plate focuses on plant-based foods: The AICR's model recommends filling at least two-thirds of your plate with plant foods for better health and cancer prevention.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods: This enduring model promotes healthy fats and plant-based foods, offering a holistic approach to chronic disease prevention.
Food quality is a key takeaway: Unlike MyPlate, modern alternative guides emphasize the quality of food choices within each group, not just the proportions.
Physical activity is integral: Many alternative plates include a reminder that physical activity is essential for a healthy lifestyle, a factor MyPlate omits from its main visual.

The USDA's MyPlate: Still Here, But With Caveats

Created in 2011 to replace the food pyramid, the USDA’s MyPlate is a visual guide dividing a plate into sections for fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, with dairy on the side. While simple and accessible, it has been criticized by nutrition experts for its broad recommendations that don't differentiate between healthier and less healthy options within food groups. This lack of specificity, particularly regarding healthy fats and physical activity, has led to the development of more detailed, independent models.

Leading the Way: Scientifically-Driven Alternatives

Responding to the official guidelines' limitations, several health institutions have released their own dietary models based on current scientific evidence. These alternatives offer more explicit advice on food quality and comprehensive guidance for preventing chronic disease.

Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate: A Science-Forward Approach

Developed by experts at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this model directly addresses perceived shortcomings of the USDA's version. Key differences include:

Specific Food Quality: Emphasizes whole grains, healthy proteins (fish, poultry, beans, nuts), and healthy fats.
Beverage Guidance: Prioritizes water, limits dairy, and advises against sugary drinks.
Physical Activity: Includes an icon to stress the importance of staying active.

The New American Plate: A Focus on Cancer Prevention

From the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), this model highlights a plant-based diet for reducing cancer risk. It recommends filling at least two-thirds of the plate with plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans) and at most one-third with animal protein, favoring lean options.

The Mediterranean Diet: A Timeless, Whole-Food Model

Represented visually and widely recognized, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods and healthy fats, inspired by traditional diets in the Mediterranean region. Its principles align with other alternative models and are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Comparison of Dietary Plate Models


Feature	USDA MyPlate	Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate	AICR's New American Plate
Grains Emphasis	Half whole grains.	All whole grains.	Focus on whole grains, legumes, beans.
Protein Focus	All sources.	Prioritizes fish, poultry, beans, nuts; limits red/processed meats.	Limit animal protein to 1/3; choose lean.
Fats Guidance	Silent.	Recommends healthy vegetable oils.	From plant-based sources.
Dairy/Beverages	Encourages dairy.	Water primary; limit milk/dairy.	Not a primary component.
Physical Activity	Not included.	Included as a reminder.	Recommended as part of healthy lifestyle.

What This Means for Your Nutrition Diet

While MyPlate is the official government tool, other reliable dietary advice sources exist. Modern nutrition emphasizes food quality, portion control, and healthier lifestyle choices over generalized food groups. For detailed, science-backed guidance, consider alternatives like Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate, the AICR's New American Plate, or the Mediterranean Diet, which are based on current research. The goal is to create a healthy eating pattern suited to your individual needs and goals.

Practical Steps to Evolve Your Diet

Prioritize Plant Foods: Make vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans the basis of your meals.
Focus on Food Quality: Choose whole grains and lean, unprocessed proteins over refined grains and processed meats.
Embrace Healthy Fats: Use healthy vegetable oils and include nuts and seeds in your diet.
Hydrate Smart: Drink water primarily, limiting sugary drinks, dairy, and juice.
Listen to Your Body: Recognize that dietary needs are individual; adjust your diet based on how different foods affect you.

Understanding various dietary guides empowers you to make informed nutrition decisions. For more resources on healthy eating, visit Harvard's The Nutrition Source website.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the USDA's MyPlate is currently the official dietary guidance model in the United States, and there has been no government announcement of a replacement. Public confusion often arises from the discontinuation of related apps, not the official icon or guidelines.

The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate offers more specific recommendations than MyPlate, especially regarding food quality. It explicitly differentiates between whole grains and refined grains, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, and healthy proteins versus red and processed meats.

The New American Plate, created by the American Institute for Cancer Research, is important because it is specifically tailored for cancer prevention. It recommends a high intake of plant-based foods, filling at least two-thirds of your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

A popular calorie-counting app named MyPlate, which was associated with the Livestrong brand and licensed the name, was shut down. This caused confusion, but it was not the official USDA MyPlate service. Users were advised to find alternative tracking apps.

The Mediterranean diet is generally more specific, emphasizing healthy fats (like olive oil), a high intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and a lower intake of dairy and red meat compared to the USDA's MyPlate recommendations.

The best model for you depends on your specific health needs. For those seeking basic, simple guidance, MyPlate works. For more specific, science-backed guidance focusing on food quality, the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate or Mediterranean Diet are excellent choices. For cancer prevention, the New American Plate is particularly relevant.

Alternative plate models emerged due to expert criticism of MyPlate's over-simplification and perceived industry influence. Critics argued MyPlate's recommendations were too vague and did not sufficiently promote food quality or address the importance of healthy fats.

Yes, MyPlate does recommend that at least half of your grain intake come from whole grains, but it does not make this distinction as visually prominent as the Harvard or New American Plate models.