Understanding the MyPlate Model: A Look at the Core Categories
The MyPlate icon provides a straightforward visual representation of a balanced meal, dividing it into five key sections. This simplicity was a deliberate shift from the more complex Food Guide Pyramid that preceded it. The five food groups are:
- Fruits: Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. They provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Vegetables: This category is further divided into sub-groups (dark-green, red and orange, starchy, and other vegetables) to encourage variety. Like fruits, they are packed with nutrients and fiber.
- Grains: This group includes all foods made from wheat, rice, oats, and other cereal grains. The guidelines emphasize making at least half of your grain choices whole grains.
- Protein Foods: This category is broader than just meat, encompassing lean meats, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
- Dairy: Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are included, with an emphasis on fat-free or low-fat options. Fortified soy beverages also fall into this group.
The strategic omission of fats and oils as a separate food group is central to understanding the MyPlate model. The emphasis is on limiting certain types of fats and incorporating healthy ones through other food choices, rather than treating them as a major component of the plate itself.
The Omission of Fats and Oils: Why They Are Not a Food Group
The primary reason fats and oils are not a food group is to steer consumers away from the notion of eating them freely. Unlike fruits or vegetables, which are encouraged in higher quantities, fats are calorie-dense and should be consumed in moderation. The guidance recommends incorporating healthy unsaturated fats, found naturally in foods from the Protein Foods group (like nuts, seeds, and some fish), and using healthy oils sparingly.
MyPlate's accompanying resources provide explicit recommendations regarding healthy fats, distinguishing between oils and solid fats. Oils (liquid at room temperature, such as olive, canola, and sunflower) are encouraged as healthier alternatives to solid fats (solid at room temperature, such as butter and lard), which are high in saturated fats. This nuance is critical, as it emphasizes the quality of fats over simply counting them as a separate group.
MyPlate vs. Harvard Healthy Eating Plate: A Comparison
The USDA's MyPlate model, while simple and memorable, has received criticism for its broad approach. A key comparison point is with Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate, which offers more specific and research-based recommendations.
| Feature | USDA's MyPlate | Harvard Healthy Eating Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy Fats/Oils | Not a separate food group. Recommendations are included in accompanying online materials to choose healthy oils and limit solid fats. | Includes a separate, prominent category for "Healthy Oils" (olive, canola) and advises limiting butter and avoiding trans fat. |
| Beverage Choice | Recommends low-fat dairy on the side. Does not explicitly address water or sugary drinks. | Explicitly encourages water, coffee, or tea and warns against sugary drinks. Limits dairy to 1-2 servings per day. |
| Grains Recommendation | Emphasizes making half your grains whole grains. | Specifies making grains "whole grains" and explicitly limits refined grains. |
| Protein Focus | Includes a broad "Protein Foods" category. | Focuses on healthy protein choices like fish, chicken, beans, and nuts, while advising limiting red and processed meats. |
| Physical Activity | Often shown in separate promotional materials. | Includes a running figure on the side of the plate as a visual reminder to stay active. |
Why The Different Approaches To Healthy Eating
The difference in these visual aids stems from their respective goals. MyPlate aims for maximum simplicity and accessibility for the general public, making it a quick, memorable guideline. Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate, developed by independent health experts, prioritizes providing more detailed and potentially more accurate dietary recommendations based on the latest nutritional science, uninfluenced by agricultural lobbies.
For consumers, understanding that fats and oils are deliberately excluded as a food group in MyPlate is crucial. This exclusion serves as an important reminder to be mindful of fat intake, focusing on the quality of fats rather than volume. By using the MyPlate visual as a starting point and supplementing it with more detailed advice (like distinguishing between healthy oils and saturated solid fats), one can build a more complete nutritional strategy. It is essential to remember that while the plate provides a visual framework, the specifics of a healthy diet require attention to the type of food, not just the category. Ultimately, the missing category isn't a mistake but a deliberate choice to simplify the message, with the fuller explanation found in the detailed dietary guidelines. This ensures the public receives an easy-to-understand message while advanced information remains available for those who seek it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the category of fats and oils is intentionally missing from the MyPlate icon's visual representation of food groups. This decision was made to simplify dietary guidance and emphasize moderation, encouraging consumers to limit overall fat intake and focus on incorporating healthier, unsaturated fats from sources like nuts, fish, and plant oils. While the plate itself only shows the five core groups—Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy—the broader dietary guidelines provided by the USDA do detail the importance and types of oils to include in a healthy eating pattern. Understanding this distinction is key to a more comprehensive approach to nutrition, allowing for a balanced diet that goes beyond the basic visual guide.
This link directs to the official MyPlate.gov website, specifically the "More Key Topics" section that addresses oils, saturated fats, and added sugars, providing authoritative information that clarifies why oils are treated differently than the five food groups.
