A colorful four part plate, similar to a pie chart, with a side portion of dairy, replaces the 19 year old food guide pyramid. Its purpose is to help Americans make wise choices to eat the correct mix and portions of foods. The Choose My Place icon was released on June 2, 2011. The icon is the visual clue to get online resources, online media, and to unified nutrition messages. The picture will give shoppers an idea of what their total diet and general meals should look like on their plate.

MyPlate features the food groups (fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy). Fruits and vegetables take up half of the plate with grains and protein taking up the other half. The grain portion is slightly larger than the protein part. The plate does not suggest any specific foods. Consumers are suppose to choose from a variety of foods and not get stuck in a rut. Go to MyPlate.gov(www.myplate.gov) for more information on each food group. You will also be able to view actual portion sized images from each food group. This is helping to suggest new foods for a varied diet as well as to help with personal taste.