Dietary guidelines around the world

Food Pyramid vs Plate Model (USA)

The Food Pyramid was invented in 1972 by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, depicting "base" foods and "supplemental" foods and illustrating relative portions through the size of each block. Breads, cereals, potatoes, milk, cheese, and margarine were at the bottom while meats, fish, and eggs were at the top. In the early 90s, the familiar food pyramid (MyPyramid) was released in the US, placing bread, cereal, rice, and pasta at the bottom and fats, oils, and sweets at the top.
In 2011, the USDA released MyPlate, depicting all the food groups as part of a meal where you can clearly see how each are portioned relative to each other. With this visualization, one could build a plate of food matching the diagram. Unlike the pyramid, the plate puts emphasis on fruits and vegetables taking up half your plate. Additionally, the plate doesn't even include fats and oils.
Other countries use different diagrams according to their diet, available foods, and needs. For example, Japan uses a spinning top, China uses a Pagoda, Canada's is a rainbow, and Antigua & Barbuda uses a pineapple.

Core recommendations across most guides

Must eat: Whole grains, fruits/veggies, legumes and pulses, animal-sourced foods
Limit or eliminate: Added sugars, excessive salt/sodium, highly processed foods, saturated and trans fats
Lifestyle suggestions: Variety, proportions, hydration, physical activity
Recently, many guidelines have been updated to include sustainability: choosing plant-based over animal, consuming seasonal/local foods, and reducing food waste

Links/references

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