Thank you for visiting the ChooseMyPlate.gov website.
If you have questions about MyPlate, food, or nutrition, you can use our Ask the Expert automated system. If your question is not answered, you can send an email through the system. But before you try out Ask the Expert, here are the answers to our top 4 most popular questions:
Do you sell MyPlate dishes, plates, placemats, food models, mugs, aprons, and t-shirts?
No. ChooseMyPlate.gov has the MyPlate graphic, together with printable materials, but we do not have plates, placemats, or others. Do an Internet search for such products. Many exist.
No. ChooseMyPlate.gov has the MyPlate graphic, together with printable materials, but we do not have plates, placemats, or others. Do an Internet search for such products. Many exist.
Where can I get more information on using or altering the MyPlate icon?
To use the MyPlate icon, please review the MyPlate Graphics Standards and the list of Permissions FAQs.
To use the MyPlate icon, please review the MyPlate Graphics Standards and the list of Permissions FAQs.
Could you send me posters, flyers, or other printed materials that I can share?
The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion no longer sends out materials. The majority of what we produce is available in a printable and downloadable format (PDF). You can see these materials on our Printable Materials page. However... there are two ways to get printed MyPlate materials: Some materials are available for free from USDA's SNAP website and USDA's Team Nutrition website, but these materials are only available to SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) State and Implementing Agencies and local SNAP-Ed projects, and schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs, respectively. If you do not belong to one of these groups, the Government Publishing Office and Purdue University Cooperative Extension sells a variety of MyPlate-related materials.
The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion no longer sends out materials. The majority of what we produce is available in a printable and downloadable format (PDF). You can see these materials on our Printable Materials page. However... there are two ways to get printed MyPlate materials: Some materials are available for free from USDA's SNAP website and USDA's Team Nutrition website, but these materials are only available to SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) State and Implementing Agencies and local SNAP-Ed projects, and schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs, respectively. If you do not belong to one of these groups, the Government Publishing Office and Purdue University Cooperative Extension sells a variety of MyPlate-related materials.
Why does the ChooseMyPlate.gov website include tomatoes and avocados in the Vegetable Group instead of the Fruit Group?
A number of foods that are considered fruits by botanists are part of the Vegetable Group. For example, tomatoes, avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, and others are classified as fruits by botanists because they are the fleshy plant part surrounding its seeds. However, for nutritional and culinary purposes, these foods are considered to be vegetables rather than fruits. The nutritional classification of foods considers not just botany, but a food's nutrient content, use in meals, and taste. The Fruit Group includes botanical fruits that are sweet and/or tart in taste -- those which are usually thought of as fruits by consumers. The Vegetable Group, on the other hand, includes those botanical fruits that are not sweet or tart and are usually consumed along with other vegetables or as a vegetable.
We thank you for your patience and appreciate your interest in the ChooseMyPlate.gov website.
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
3101 Park Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302-1594