Download MyPlate Sheet

In June 2011, the USDA unveiled its new food guidance icon to go along with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for America, which were released in January. The new icon is called My Plate and the graphic replaces My Pyramid, yet much of the information about what counts as a serving remains the same as the MyPyramid information.

You can find the new information at www.choosemyplate.gov.

My Plate is designed to help Americans to remember what a healthy plate looks like. Most of us have a hard time fitting as many vegetables and fruits into our meals each day as we should. Glancing at My Plate and seeing that half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables can be an easy reminder to add more produce to your meals and cut back on the portions of meats and grains you eat.

Along with My Plate, the USDA released six key messages to help Americans make healthy choices at meal and snack times:

1. Enjoy your food but eat less.
2. Avoid oversized portions.
3. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
4. Make at least half your grains whole grains.
5. Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals - and choose foods with lower numbers.
6. Drink water instead of sugary drinks.