The USDA's dietary guidance has evolved significantly over the years, with MyPyramid (2005) and MyPlate (2011) representing two distinct approaches to communicating healthy eating principles. While both served as educational tools to help the public make healthier food choices, they differed fundamentally in their design, emphasis, and utility.
MyPyramid: An Abstract and Complex Symbol
Introduced in 2005, MyPyramid replaced the original Food Guide Pyramid (1992). It was an interactive, internet-dependent tool that used an abstract visual of a pyramid turned on its side. Its features included:
- Vertical Color Bands: The pyramid was divided into six vertical color bands representing the food groups: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, a thin band of yellow for oils, blue for milk, and purple for meat and beans. The width of the bands was meant to represent proportional intake, but this was often unclear to consumers.
- Physical Activity: An icon of a person climbing stairs was included to emphasize the importance of exercise, a new addition at the time.
- Internet Dependent: MyPyramid relied heavily on its associated website for personalized guidance, which disadvantaged those without internet access and made the icon itself less informative.
- Confusion: The abstract nature of the graphic, coupled with the reliance on the website for detailed information, meant many found MyPyramid confusing and difficult to apply to their daily meals.
MyPlate: A Simple, Practical Guide
Launched in 2011 by First Lady Michelle Obama and the USDA, MyPlate was designed to be a simpler, more familiar visual guide. It represents a plate divided into five food groups, providing an easy-to-understand representation of a balanced meal. Key features include:
- Familiar Visual: Using a common place setting—a plate and a glass—MyPlate makes it easier for people to visualize and create a healthy meal.
- Half Fruits and Vegetables: The graphic explicitly emphasizes filling half of one's plate with fruits and vegetables, a direct and visible change from its predecessor.
- No Fats/Oils on Graphic: Unlike MyPyramid, the main MyPlate visual does not include a separate section for fats, oils, or sugars. Instead, guidance on these is provided online.
- Digital Integration: While the icon is simple, it is backed by a suite of online tools and apps on the MyPlate website, allowing for personalized, detailed guidance.
Comparison: MyPyramid vs. MyPlate
| Feature | MyPyramid (2005) | MyPlate (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Representation | Abstract, multicolored pyramid with vertical stripes. | Familiar plate and glass setting. |
| Food Group Emphasis | Emphasized grains with the largest stripe; fruits and vegetables received less visual prominence. | Clearly shows fruits and vegetables occupying half the plate, promoting higher intake. |
| Portion Guidance | Used stripe widths to imply proportionality, which was often confusing for consumers. | Uses visual plate sections to clearly show recommended proportions at a glance. |
| Fats and Oils | Included a small vertical band for oils. | Does not show fats or oils on the main visual, but provides information online. |
| Physical Activity | Included a stick figure climbing stairs to visually represent exercise. | Does not include a visual cue for physical activity, but addresses it on the supporting website. |
| Accessibility | Heavily reliant on an online component for detailed, personalized info, limiting accessibility. | Offers a simple, understandable visual for everyone, with additional online resources for those who want more. |
| Clarity and Actionability | Perceived as complex and less practical for daily use. | Regarded as simpler and easier to apply in daily meal planning. |
The Shift to a More Intuitive Model
The change from the abstract MyPyramid to the intuitive MyPlate marked a significant effort by the USDA to modernize its dietary guidance and make it more accessible to the average American. Critics of the pyramid model, including nutritional experts like Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health, argued that it was often confusing and misleading. For instance, by placing grains at the base, it could inadvertently suggest that carbohydrates were the most important food group, despite many people's high intake of refined grains.
MyPlate addressed these criticisms by using a simple, relatable image. The plate setting immediately provides a context for portion balance, and the emphasis on fruits and vegetables is much clearer and more direct. While MyPlate lacks some specific detail found in MyPyramid, its clarity and ease of application have made it a more effective public health tool. The comprehensive resources on the ChooseMyPlate.gov website (linked from the MyPlate icon itself) provide the detailed, personalized information that was previously more difficult to access.
How MyPlate Guides Healthy Eating
The MyPlate icon serves as a visual reminder to build healthy meals around five core food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. The USDA encourages individuals to:
- Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables: This simple step helps increase the intake of nutrient-rich foods.
- Make at least half your grains whole grains: A key recommendation to improve diet quality.
- Vary your protein choices: Encourages selection from a range of lean protein sources.
- Move to low-fat or fat-free dairy: Promotes healthier dairy selections.
MyPlate is not a prescriptive diet plan but a framework. It provides general principles that can be personalized using the many online tools and apps, such as the Start Simple with MyPlate app, which helps users set daily food goals. The current guidelines empower individuals with a clear, actionable mental model for balanced nutrition that is more practical for daily life than its pyramid-shaped predecessor.
Conclusion
The transition from MyPyramid to MyPlate represents a strategic shift in public nutrition education toward clarity, simplicity, and practical application. By moving from an abstract pyramid to a familiar plate, the USDA provided a more intuitive visual that emphasizes a higher intake of fruits and vegetables. While MyPyramid included more visual details like physical activity and oils, MyPlate's strength lies in its immediate, recognizable message of balance and proportion. This modern approach is better suited to help the public make healthier choices at every meal.
