USDA developed the MyPlate food system as a visual learning tool for understanding good eating habits at every age.

MyPlate incorporates the daily intake recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for America (DGA) for each of the following food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein. The current MyPlate recommendations have been updated to reflect the 2020-2025 DGAs.

On the MyPlate.gov website, users can view general daily intake recommendations or calculate personalized recommendations based on their age, sex, height, and weight. In addition, the website is full of healthy-eating resources and graphics that can be used by both consumers and nutrition professionals.

Food Processor and MyPlate

Food Processor integrates MyPlate data so you can see how your client’s dietary intake compares with the MyPlate recommendations and plan their menus accordingly.

When you or your client enters foods into a Daily Intake, the Food Processor automatically converts the food amounts (gram weight, household serving size, etc.) into MyPlate servings.

For example, if you select ½ cup oatmeal for breakfast, the program will recognize and record that as 1 serving of grain per the MyPlate definitions. If you select 1 cup of orange juice for breakfast, the program will count that as 1 MyPlate fruit serving. The program will add up the servings for all five groups for the duration of a day, and generate a report that compares the servings eaten to those recommended. Note: Food Processor’s MyPlate recommendations are based on the recommended calorie level for your client profiles, based on the personal data (height, weight, etc.) you entered for them.