USDA Nutrition Guides
How it functions:
- A nutrition guide is a reference that provides nutrition advice for general health, typically by dividing foods into food groups and recommending servings of each group.
- Nutrition guides can be presented in written or visual form, and are commonly published by government agencies, health associations and university health departments.
Previous USDA food guides include:
- Basic 7 (1943–1956),
- the Basic Four (1956–1992),
- the Food Guide Pyramid (1992–2005),
- and MyPyramid (2005–2011).
- And now MyPlate, a plate icon divided into approximately 30 percent grains, 30 percent vegetables, 20 percent fruits and 20 percent protein, accompanied by a smaller circle representing dairy.
Recommendations:
Additional recommendations include enjoying food but eating less, avoid oversized portions, make at least half of grains whole, switch to fat-free or low-fat milk, choose foods with less sodium, and drink water instead of sugary drinks