1916 to 1930s: “Food for Young Children” and “How to Select Food”

• Established guidance based on food groups and household measures

• Focused on “protective foods”

1940s: A Guide to Good Eating (Basic Seven)

• Foundation diet for nutrient adequacy

• Included daily number of servings needed from each of seven food groups

• Lacked specific serving sizes

• Considered complex

1956 to 1970s: Food for Fitness, A Daily Food Guide

(Basic Four)

• Foundation diet approach—goals for nutrient

adequacy

• Specified amounts from four food groups

• Did not include guidance on appropriate fats,

sugars, and calorie intake

1979: Hassle-Free Daily Food Guide

• Developed after the 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States were released

• Based on the Basic Four, but also included a fifth group to highlight the need to moderate intake of fats, sweets, and alcohol1984: Food Wheel: A Pattern for Daily Food Choices

• Total diet approach

• Included goals for both nutrient adequacy and moderation

• Five food groups and amounts formed the basis for the Food Guide Pyramid

• Daily amounts of food provided at three calorie levels

• First illustrated for a Red Cross nutrition course as a food wheel

1992: Food Guide Pyramid

• Total diet approach—goals for both nutrient

adequacy and moderation

• Developed using consumer research to bring

awareness to the new food patterns

• Illustration focused on concepts of variety,

moderation, and proportion

• Included visualization of added fats and sugars

throughout five food groups and in the tip

• Included range for daily amounts of food across three calorie levels

2005: MyPyramid Food Guidance System

• Introduced along with updating of Food Guide

Pyramid food patterns for the 2005 Dietary

Guidelines for Americans, including daily amounts

of food at 12 calorie levels

• Continued “pyramid” concept, based on consumer research but simplified illustration. Detailed information provided on website “MyPyramid.gov”

• Added a band for oils and the concept of physical

activity

• Illustration could be used to describe concepts of

variety, moderation, and proportion2011: MyPlate

• Introduced along with updating of USDA food patterns for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Different shape to help grab consumers’ attention with a new visual cue

• Icon that serves as a reminder for healthy eating, not

intended to provide specific messages

• Visual is linked to food and is a familiar mealtime symbol in

consumers’ minds, as identified through testing

• “My” continues the personalization approach from MyPyramid

2020: MyPlate

• MyPlate continues to be a reminder to find a healthy eating style and build it throughout the lifespan

• Graphic updated to reflect a color palette that presents a bolder, cleaner visual

• URL shortened from ChooseMyPlate.gov to MyPlate.gov

For more information:

Welsh S, Davis C, Shaw A. A brief history of food guides in the United States. Nutrition Today

November/December 1992:6-11.

Welsh S, Davis C, Shaw A. Development of the Food Guide Pyramid. Nutrition Today November/December

1992:12-23.

Haven J, Burns A, Britten P, Davis C. Developing the Consumer Interface for the MyPyramid Food Guidance

System. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 2006, 38: S124–S135.