What's on MyPlate Worksheet? A Comprehensive Guide

According to the USDA, MyPlate is a visual reminder for making healthy food choices, replacing the Food Guide Pyramid in 2011. A "What's on MyPlate worksheet" is a versatile tool used to teach and reinforce these healthy eating principles for all ages, from children to adults.

Quick Summary

A MyPlate worksheet is a nutrition education tool based on the USDA's MyPlate model, helping users visualize and plan balanced meals with the five food groups. It typically includes activities for identifying and categorizing foods, often with printable versions, coloring pages, or menu planning templates to promote healthy eating habits.

Key Points

• Visual Learning Tool: A MyPlate worksheet provides a visual, hands-on method to teach the USDA's healthy eating guidelines, reinforcing the concept of balanced meals.

• Covers Five Food Groups: The standard worksheet is divided into the five MyPlate food groups—Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy—helping users learn to portion them correctly.

• Versatile for All Ages: Worksheets can be adapted for different audiences, from simple coloring pages for children to advanced meal planning templates for adults.

• Encourages Practical Application: By requiring users to fill in the plate with food items, the worksheet helps individuals apply nutritional theory to real-world meal composition.

• Promotes Balanced Portions: A key takeaway is the visual reminder to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables, a cornerstone of the MyPlate message.

• Available for Free: Many educational resources, including printable MyPlate worksheets, are available for free from official sources like MyPlate.gov.

• Enhances Meal Planning Skills: Advanced worksheets help users practice menu planning, ensuring balanced and healthy meals are incorporated throughout the day.

What is a MyPlate Worksheet?

A MyPlate worksheet is an educational tool designed to help people of all ages understand the core concepts of the USDA's MyPlate initiative. MyPlate serves as a visual guide, reminding individuals to fill their plate with a balanced variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. Worksheets take this visual guide and transform it into an interactive, hands-on activity, making the principles of healthy eating more accessible and engaging. These printable or digital resources often feature a blank plate illustration divided into the five food groups, allowing users to draw, cut and paste, or write down different food items in the correct section. They serve a crucial role in nutrition education for students and are also valuable for adults looking to improve their dietary habits.

Benefits of Using a MyPlate Worksheet

Worksheets are effective teaching aids for several reasons:

• Enhanced Learning: The interactive nature of a worksheet, such as coloring or sorting, reinforces food group identification and categorization, leading to better retention of nutritional knowledge.
• Customization: Many worksheets are adaptable for different age groups and skill levels. For younger children, this might involve simple coloring or cut-and-paste activities, while for older students or adults, it might include menu planning or calculating portion sizes.
• Practical Application: Worksheets encourage users to apply the MyPlate principles to their own meals. By planning a hypothetical meal, individuals can visualize what a balanced diet looks like in practice.
• Motivation and Engagement: For children, in particular, worksheets can make learning about nutrition fun. The use of games, puzzles, and coloring sheets can increase engagement and motivation.

Types of MyPlate Worksheets

MyPlate worksheets come in various forms, each designed to address different learning styles and age groups.

For Kids and Younger Students

• Coloring Pages: Simple coloring sheets feature the MyPlate icon with labels for each food group (Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy). Kids color in the sections to familiarize themselves with the plate layout.
• Cut-and-Paste Activities: These worksheets include pictures of various foods that students cut out and glue onto the corresponding sections of their MyPlate diagram. This is an excellent kinesthetic learning exercise.
• Crossword Puzzles and Word Searches: These word games test students' knowledge of food groups and specific food items within them, making learning engaging and fun.

For Older Students and Adults

• Menu Planning Templates: These more advanced worksheets prompt users to plan a day's worth of meals, ensuring each meal incorporates all five food groups according to MyPlate guidelines.
• Food Group Trackers: For tracking daily food intake, these worksheets allow users to monitor how much of each food group they are consuming over the course of a day or a week.
• Comparison Tables: Advanced worksheets may include tables for comparing different food items based on their nutritional content, encouraging smarter food choices.

How to Create Your Own MyPlate Worksheet

If you can't find the perfect worksheet, creating your own is a straightforward process. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Start with a Base Template: Draw or download a simple MyPlate graphic, including the four plate sections (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein) and the smaller circle for dairy.
2. Define the Activity: Decide on the learning objective. Is it for coloring, menu planning, or sorting? This will determine the next steps.
3. Gather Food Images or Lists: For a cut-and-paste activity, find images of various foods online. For a written activity, compile a list of foods related to the target food group or meal plan.
4. Add Instructions and Guidelines: Clearly state the instructions at the top of the page. Include key MyPlate messages, such as "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables" and "Make half your grains whole grains," to guide the user.
5. Include an Answer Key (if necessary): For quizzes or identification tasks, provide an answer key to facilitate self-correction or grading.

MyPlate vs. Food Pyramid: A Comparison

Feature	MyPlate (since 2011)	Food Pyramid (pre-2011)
Visual Aid	A simple, familiar place setting with a divided plate and a cup for dairy.	A multi-level pyramid, with wider base for foods to eat more of, narrowing at the top for those to eat less of.
Emphasis	Proportions on the plate, making it easy to see how to balance meals.	Serving sizes and a hierarchical structure that was sometimes misinterpreted.
User-Friendliness	More intuitive and easier to understand at a glance, reflecting current dietary patterns.	Could be confusing, with some finding the concept of different-sized blocks for different food groups less clear.
Food Groups	Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy.	Grains (base), Vegetables, Fruits, Dairy, Meat/Beans (middle), Fats/Oils/Sweets (top).
Customization	Provides personalized plans based on age, sex, height, weight, and activity level via the MyPlate website.	Less emphasis on individualization, offering general guidelines.

Conclusion

A what's on MyPlate worksheet is a dynamic and effective tool for teaching healthy eating habits to people of all ages. By translating the visual simplicity of the USDA's MyPlate icon into a hands-on activity, these worksheets provide a practical and engaging way to learn about the five food groups and the importance of a balanced diet. Whether used for classroom education with children or personal meal planning for adults, the worksheet format reinforces key nutritional concepts and helps build a foundation for lifelong healthy eating. The availability of free printable resources from MyPlate.gov makes these valuable tools accessible to everyone looking to start simple on their healthy eating journey.

How to Use a MyPlate Worksheet for Meal Planning

Using a MyPlate worksheet for meal planning is a practical way to translate nutritional guidance into daily action. Here's a step-by-step process:

1. Download or Print: Obtain a MyPlate menu template from a reliable source like MyPlate.gov or create your own.
2. Plan Your Menu: Fill in the template with your planned meals and snacks for the day or week. Consider what you have on hand or what you plan to buy.
3. Check for Balance: Review your planned meals to ensure you are filling your plate appropriately. Are fruits and vegetables making up half of your plate? Are you including a mix of whole grains and lean proteins?.
4. Vary Your Choices: The worksheet can help you ensure variety. For instance, if you have chicken for one meal, try beans or fish for another.
5. Involve the Family: Meal planning with a MyPlate worksheet can be a family activity, engaging children in the process of making healthy food decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the five food groups on a MyPlate worksheet?

The five food groups on a MyPlate worksheet are Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy. The visual guide reminds us to fill our plate with these different food types to build a balanced meal.

Where can I find a printable MyPlate worksheet?

You can find official and free printable MyPlate worksheets directly on the MyPlate.gov website. They offer a variety of resources, including coloring pages and menu planning templates, for different ages and needs.

How do MyPlate worksheets help children?

MyPlate worksheets help children by making nutrition education interactive and fun. Activities like coloring, cut-and-paste exercises, and games help them learn to identify food groups and understand what a healthy, balanced meal looks like.

What is the main message of the MyPlate model?

The main message of the MyPlate model is to emphasize the importance of variety and balanced proportions. It serves as a simple visual reminder to make half your plate fruits and vegetables and to include lean proteins, whole grains, and a serving of dairy.

Can MyPlate worksheets be used for adults?

Yes, MyPlate worksheets can be very beneficial for adults. More advanced versions, such as menu planning templates and food tracking guides, are useful tools for meal planning and monitoring daily food intake.

How does MyPlate differ from the Food Guide Pyramid?

MyPlate replaced the Food Guide Pyramid in 2011 and provides a more intuitive visual. It focuses on filling a plate with balanced proportions of food groups rather than the hierarchical structure of the pyramid, which was sometimes confusing.

What are some practical uses for a MyPlate worksheet in a classroom setting?

In a classroom, a MyPlate worksheet can be used for activities like group discussions on healthy eating, individual coloring or cutting and pasting tasks, or as a reference guide for lesson plans. The USDA even provides specific workbooks for educators.