‘My Pyramid’ depicts the five food categories including oils with 6 multicolored straight stripes. The width of the stripes showed which ones should be consumed more and which ones less.
The icon of stairs towards the left of the pyramid serves as a reminder for people to be active to enjoy good health.
However, the issue with the Pyramid was that it was slightly complicated to understand the exact amount to be consumed of each group to be a ‘healthy’ individual. ‘My Plate’, on the other hand, is much easier to understand; in one glance, you instantly know that proteins and grains should take half of your plate, and the other half should consist of (more) vegetables and fruits. A little bit of dairy is also shown to be necessary.
As ‘My Plate’ is a divided plate, all the foods shine through. Moreover, the quantity also indicated that you’re supposed to eat a moderate amount of food and not big portions (even healthy food) as it gets stored as fat.
Unlike the Pyramids icon, you cannot see anyone walking in ‘My Plate’, nonetheless, physical activity is a VERY important element to attaining good health and benefiting from the good food that you eat.
It is also important to note that oils supply vital nutrients and are advised in small quantities but are not a part of ‘My Plate’s icon. This is due to the fact that dietary guidelines urge to reduce the consumption of oils, solid fats and foods with added sugars. These foods are loaded with fat and calories, and lack any nutritional value.
