Plates and Dietary Advice: A Current Trend in Nutrition Education Messaging for the Public

Numerous dietary advice plate icons are currently being promoted in the United States. These icons are based on scientific studies related to diet and the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases. Icons also have been targeted to specific populations related to age, ethnicity, eating preferences, and level of physical activity. Plate icons currently being advocated stress the importance of portion size and the desirability of fruit and vegetable consumption while giving other types of advice as well. The multiplicity of icons may enable more individually tailored dietary advice but may also be confusing for the public. This paper reviews 16 plate icons to enable public health practitioners and nutrition educators to help clients make the most appropriate decisions regarding the use of plate images in planning meals