The familiar food pyramid that many students have seen since they were children has a completely new look, shape and function.

In cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, first lady Michelle Obama unveiled a circular chart that illustrates the correct proportions of the important food groups to help Americans model their meal plates. It is known as MyPlate.

“The USDA released MyPlate, the new graphic symbol of nutritional advice for consumers, which coordinates with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate replaces the previous MyPyramid food guidance system,” said Anne Oldham, academic advisor and didactic dietetics program director. 

Oldham cited the USDA’s website, which offers tips on various food-related ways to stay healthy. For students looking to balance caloric input and output, the USDA recommends “enjoying your food, but eating less” and “avoiding oversized proportions.”

The USDA emphasizes that half of a plate should be filled by fruits and vegetables, at least half of all grains consumed should be whole grains and that Americans should switch to skim or 1 percent milk. Foods that should be taken in smaller proportions include sugary drinks and foods laden with sodium.

The main motivation for the switch from the old pyramid to the new plate design was to give Americans a visual representation of what their plates should look like for meals. Instead of giving guidelines for serving sizes, the plate shows how much of each food group should be present on a standard plate.

“For many individuals, I anticipate that the MyPlate illustration of the five food groups will be easy to understand, and there are interactive tools online at www.choosemyplate.gov,” Oldham said.