Dietary Guidelines, 2010 and MyPlate
Dietary Guidelines, 2010: Based on Scientific Evidence
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2010, from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USHHS),
gives healthy eating advice for Americans ages two and over, including those at higher
risk for chronic disease. Based on current scientific evidence, the interrelated
recommendations can help people make informed food choices, consume the right
amount of calories, and be physically active. The over-riding goals: to maintain calorie
balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight, and to focus on nutrientdense foods and beverages. Following the Key Recommendations and the USDA Food
Patterns in the Dietary Guidelines can help promote overall health and a healthy
weight, and reduce the chance of disease.
The Dietary Guidelines consumer brochure, "Let's Eat for the Health of It," is an easy to read summary of the guidance;
access it at www.choosemyplate.gov/tipsresources/printmaterials.html. For a full set of the DGA, 2010,
recommendations, refer to www.dietaryguidelines.gov. The guidelines are updated every 5 years, to reflect current
scientific evidence.
MyPlate: A Visual Cue to Healthful Eating
Following the release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture launched MyPlate, a visual cue, or reminder, for healthy
eating. Unlike MyPyramid, MyPlate is not a food guidance system. Instead the
MyPlate graphic is meant to prompt people to think about building a healthy plate
at meals and to seek out more information on healthy eating overall.
To learn more about MyPlate, refer to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov/. This
USDA web site provides interactive and downloadable tools and resources to
help teachers and students put the Dietary Guidelines into action, and so helps
students build healthful eating patterns for meals and snacks throughout the day.
Additional resources will be added to the web site to provide more learning tools and actionable ways to eat for health
for people at every age.
Have you used MyPyramid to learn about healthy eating and active living in your teaching? Although more complex
than MyPlate, MyPyramid remains a useful learning tool for healthy eating, which is consistent with the Dietary
Guidelines, 2010. If you choose to use MyPyramid as a teaching tool, check the MyPyramid section, archived at
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/tipsresources/printmaterials.html/. Also refer to the teacher handout, "MyPlate and
MyPyramid ... Can They Be Used Together?"
Resources for the Dietary Guidelines, 2010, and MyPlate:
Dietary Guidelines for American, 2010, USDA and USHHS
ChooseMyPlate, US Department of Agriculture
MyPlate e-Catalogue, Society for Nutrition Education
Dietary Guidelines 2010 and MyPlate (online slide presentations)
University of Nebraska -Lincoln Extension
http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov
http://ChooseMyPlate.gov
http://www.sne.org/myplate/
http://food.unl.edu/web/fnh/dietaryguidelines2010
http://food.unl.edu/web/fnh/choose-myplate-powerpoint