Yesterday it was announced that the Food Guide Pyramid, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992, is being replaced by a new trendy My Plate icon. According to an article by the Des Moines Register, the new icon was designed to try and make it easier for busy Americans to eat healthy and lose weight.
The new plate is much more hip, clean and fresh than the old pyramid. Clean lines, bright colors and an overall simplistic look make the design. It is broken into four different sections: Proteins, Fruits, Grains, and Vegetables. Next to the plate is a replica of a glass of milk labeled “Dairy.”
The old food guide pyramid, which was engrained into our way of eating from a young age, used to include a “fats/oils/sweets” section at the top of the pyramid. This has been completely omitted in the new icon.
The My Plate website has many interactive options, allowing the new icon to fit right into today’s interactive media age. There is a “MyFoodapedia” section where you can find calories and food groups for whatever food you enter. The “Daily Food Planner” allows an individual to plan out meals, based on a person’s sex, weight, height, age, and activity level.
Critics and fans of the new My Plate design and methodology have already started to speak up. It will be interesting to see how this new design catches on – will My Plate join the social media realm? With the new edgy design, this only seems natural.
What if every aspect of our life and what we do was broken out into simple guides such as this? What if there was a plate for social media for your business? Broken out into sections were Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blog… What about a plate for the perfect work/life balance? A plate that outlined how to best manage your finances? Interesting things to ponder…
What do you wish you had a “plate” for?
