Choose MyPlate Assignment
Goals of the assignment:
1. To identify how you can improve your diet using Choose MyPlate food groups.
2. To understand where foods fit into the Choose MyPlate food groups.
3. To determine your ideal food plan based on your age, gender, height, weight and activity level
4. To identify appropriate portions of food items within the Choose MyPlate food groups.
5. To evaluate your individual food intake based on Choose MyPlate guideline/recommendations
6. To summarize how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is related to the Choose MyPlate
Recommendations.
Instructions: There are 3 parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – this will identify your dietary intake – Worksheet 1:
Record one day’s food and drink intake – breakfast, lunch, dinner, any snacks and drinks in 24 hours.
Estimate your portion sizes in cups, ounces and tablespoons as accurately as possible. You will need this
to complete worksheet 2 and 3
Part 2 – Complete Worksheet 2
1. Click on the suggested calorie level (please see attachments in the assignment link) to see your daily
needs for each food group and enter the information on the worksheet provided with this
assignment (Worksheet 2). – Please indicate the MyPlate plan that you will be using.
Suggested food group plan (calorie level)
1600 – weight loss
1800 – weight maintenance
2000 – active lifestyle
2400 – very active lifestyle or weight gain
2. Look at your food intake recorded for the 24-hour period and complete worksheet 2 stating your
food intake, your daily intake of each food group, the ideal daily intake of each food group from
your plan and state amount lacking or exceeded for each food group. See the example below to get
started.
3. Go to the following link http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ and from the home page click on each
food group, under “Eat Healthy” from the top navigation bar. Spend some time looking at the
information that is available related to each food group, particularly recognizing portion sizes. Once
you click on the food group, scroll to the bottom and open, for example “Ounce equivalent of
grains”. For example, click on Daily Grain Table to see the amounts of grains that are recommended
for each portion. Click on the One Ounce Equivalent of Grains table to see amounts for a variety of
grains. Get familiar with figuring out food equivalents for each food group.
4. Record all food groups for a mixed food item. For example, pizza is made up of the grain, vegetable,
oil groups, solid fat and dairy.
5. Note that there will be some foods that do not fit into any group and are considered Empty Calories.
(i.e. Chocolate Cake or Beer)
6. Do this for each of the food groups to complete the table on the worksheet. See the example below
to get started.
7. Answer question 1 on worksheet 2 and evaluate your intake compared to the Choose MyPlate
recommendations (using calories levels from Part 2 Question 1). Be sure to fully analyze your
diet to receive full points. You should be discussing what you lacked/exceeded and changes you
can make.
Part 3
1. Complete the table provided with meals that meet your Choose MyPlate Plan (using calorie
levels from Part 2 Question 1) by dividing these foods into the suggested meals on the table.
2. Read the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Executive Summary at
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-
12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf and use these recommendations to
answer the remaining questions on the worksheet. All materials for the Dietary Guidelines can
be found at https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-
materials
Please post the completed worksheets on the appropriate assignment area on Canvas by the due
date.
